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Culinary Production Specialist Overview

Start your path to a successful career in the foodservice industry with CVTC’s Culinary Production Specialist program. Work with our industry connected instructors and learn the skills needed to succeed professionally in bakeries, catering services, hotels, health care facilities, and more.

Explore food and beverage preparation, safety, nutrition, marketing, and more to master all aspects of the industry. With hands-on learning experiences in our state-of-the-art kitchen, during class activities, and staffing your own student lead restaurant, you’ll refine your culinary skills and receive high-quality chef training at a fraction of the cost.

After graduation, you will know the culinary vocabulary and have the confidence to operate in various environments. The foodservice industry is the number one retail employer in Wisconsin and throughout the nation, and there is an increasing need for well-trained food service personnel. Your culinary career starts here!

Throughout this one-year program you'll learn about:

  • Food Science Principles
  • Cooking Techniques & Concepts
  • Safety & Sanitation in the Foodservice Industry
  • Beverage Management
  • Food Service Operations
  • Menu Planning
  • Teamwork

Career Opportunities

Cook

Line Cook

Prep Cook

Grill Cook

Kitchen Team Member/Cook

Just the Facts

Culinary Production Specialist
30 Credit Technical Diploma

Length of Program //
One Year

Delivery Method //

Program Location //
Eau Claire

Program Location //
August and January

Start Months //
August and January

Start Dates //
August and January

 

Financial Aid Eligible

 

Non-Traditional Occupation

Estimated Program Cost 

Term 1

$

2,962

Term 2

$

2,818

Tools/Materials

$

1,148

Books

$

1,151

 Estimated Total: $8,079

  Earn credit for prior learning! Do you have previous educational or work experience in the field? You could be eligible to receive credit for prior learning. Explore your options today!

620 West Restaurant

 
 

Come check out the restaurant!

Join us for unique culinary experiences each week! Students in the CVTC Culinary Management program create themed menus that give your palette the opportunity to travel the world through food. Our pop-up menus change throughout the semester, so check back often for the latest offering. Learn more.

 

 

Program Courses

These are a few of the courses you can take in the Culinary Production Specialist program.

Food Theory
Food science principles applied to professional culinary food preparation. Units include professional kitchen operation, recipe terminology, and cooking techniques for various food categories.

Beverage Management
Introduces the management, responsible service, and sales of beverages. The areas of planning, equipping, staffing, product knowledge and purchasing, inventory management, marketing, and legal regulations are included. The Responsible Beverage Server portion fulfills Wisconsin Statutes which requires new applicants/bartenders/operators to complete training before a license is issued.

Advanced Culinary Arts
In the Advanced Culinary Arts course, you will utilize the cooking techniques and concepts you learned in previous courses, as well as, developing new techniques. You will develop skills with meat and fish identification and fabrication and explore international cuisines such as Asian, European, and American Regional Cuisines through regional menus and techniques.
Description

Earn Credentials Along the Way

Career Pathways 

Career Pathways are a clear, manageable way to access education that provides employer-recognized, stackable credentials tied to specific jobs, education, and career progression. Career Pathways are beneficial to high school students and teachers, parents, adult students, and employers.

Associate Degree

Culinary Management

Culinary Production Specialist Outcomes

CVTC graduates are ready for the workforce. Each year, we send our graduates the Graduate Follow-Up Survey asking where they are working, whether it is in their degree field, and several other questions related to employment. Below are the program outcomes and job data.

 

$30K*
Yearly Salary

Culinary Production Specialist professionals make an average starting salary of $29,989.

 

452
Regional Jobs

There are 452 job openings in the CVTC district for the Culinary Production Specialist industry.

 

Transfer
Credits to Other Institutions

Transfer your CVTC credits to another institution to continue your education. Explore transfer agreements.

 
* This wage is not specific to CVTC graduates. Wage estimates are based on entry-level positions and are gathered from Lightcast which is an economic modeling software that blends historical and projected industry and occupation trends within CVTC's 11-county district. Wage estimates are based on Occupational Employment Statistics and the American Community Survey.

Related Programs & Certificates

Whether you're looking to continue your learning to another program or to gain continuing education credit, CVTC offers a variety of learning opportunities for students.
 

Degrees & Diplomas

Baking & Pastry Specialist, Technical Diploma

Culinary Management, Associate Degree

Continue Your Learning

CVTC can help you achieve your learning goals whether you are looking to advance your career or enrich your personal life.

// Explore Continuing Ed Opportunities

  Unsure of which program you'd like to go into? Learn more about our Career Assessment to help narrow down your options.