Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Sullivan University Offers New Personal/Private Chef Diploma

Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) is now offering a diploma that prepares students for careers in the personal and private chef industry. The Personal/Private Chef Diploma program was launched in June 2009 at both the Louisville and Lexington campuses, and it is the only curriculum affiliated with the American Personal & Private Chef Association (APPCA). The program requires 68 credits and offers the option of a 12-month period of traditional study or a 21-month course of night and weekend classes.

The curriculum of the Personal/Private Chef Diploma program includes training in basic culinary skills, garde manger, international cuisines, dining services and wines and spirits. Academic courses include culinary mathematics, writing composition, foodservice sanitation, basic nutrition, hospitality management and supervision and food-and-beverage cost control. The fourth quarter of the program is dedicated to successfully operating a personal-chef business or fulfilling the role of private chef, as well as an introduction to professional catering. The Business of Doing Business as a Personal Chef, the first definitive textbook for prospective personal chefs written by APPCA founder Candy Wallace, will be an integral part of the program’s final-quarter course load.
At the conclusion of the program, graduates are eligible to purchase full membership in APPCA.

“The personal or private chef career path is a very rewarding journey that creates a profound and lasting relationship between chef and client,” says Tom Hickey, director of the NCHS. “Sullivan University is proud to offer the Personal/Private Chef Diploma that will prepare students for a challenging, yet gratifying occupation.”

Personal chefs design and prepare meals for their clients, either at the client’s home or in a professional kitchen. According to the APPCA, personal chefs can earn $200 to $500 per day depending on the market in which they work, and the current number of personal chefs in the United States is approximately 9,000, serving 72,000 customers. The APPCA has worked with, trained and represented over 10,000 personal chefs over the past 15 years, and the organization predicts that the number of personal chefs working in the United States will be 25,000 by 2019.

The mission of the APPCA is to promote the education and advancement of their members in the personal and private chef business. They are dedicated to the betterment of the industry as a whole and have contributed such innovations as the first definitive textbook for the personal chef, an online discussion forum for industry professionals and software created specifically to assist with the management of a successful personal chef business. Additionally, as a result of the efforts of the APPCA, the American Culinary Federation now grants a certification of Personal Certified Chef (PCC), and Personal Certified Executive Chef (PCEC). For more information, visit www.personalchef.com.

The NCHS prepares students for careers in the hospitality field by offering five Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Students can earn an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts; Baking & Pastry Arts; Professional Catering; Hotel & Restaurant Management and Event Management and Tourism; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration concentration in Hospitality Management. The University also offers Professional Baker, Personal/Private Chef and Tourism diplomas. All programs of study are taught by highly qualified faculty using the latest contemporary facilities. For more information, visit www.sullivan.edu.

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