CVTC Board Approves Culinary Program

Industry demand revives program

Eau Claire, WI – Strong support from the restaurant industry has led the Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) District Board to approve a Culinary program at the Wednesday, Nov. 16 meeting. The program will begin in fall 2018, with initial enrollment for 24 students.

“There is a definite need for workers in the culinary industry,” said Lynette Livingston, dean of business and academic initiatives at CVTC. “We heard that from the industry during focus group meetings.”

“A central element of CVTC’s mission is to meet the workforce needs of the region, and with the creation of a Culinary program, we will be responding to strong needs in the culinary and hospitality industry,” said CVTC President Bruce Barker. “About nine percent of the local workforce is employed in the industry and currently CVTC has no program to serve that sector of the economy. Culinary will fill that need.”

CVTC’s market research showed that there are about 220 culinary job openings a year in the area, with six percent growth anticipated. The average pay is $15.46 an hour.

Livingston said the program will have strong focus on management as well as food preparation and presentation.

CVTC formerly had a Hotel and Restaurant Management program, which was discontinued in 2010. However, in 2011 discussions were already underway to revive the program at the encouragement of industry leaders.

“We were going to focus on the arts, on the cooking, but in our focus groups, industry was telling us there is a definite need for people in management,” Livingston said. “And the push was very strong from industry, which included the local restaurant association and the owners of quick service restaurants.”

Livingston added that there was also strong encouragement from area high schools, where Family and Consumer Science teachers were hearing students express a lot of interest in careers in the industry.

The full two-year program will be 60 credits, leading to an associate degree in Culinary and Operations Management. The program includes a 30-credit, one-year embedded technical diploma in Professional Cooking and a 15-credit, one-semester embedded technical diploma in Food and Beverage Safety.

CVTC anticipates reaching an agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Stout for transfer of program credits toward the university’s Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program.

The program will be located at the Business Education Center in Eau Claire. A $2.6 million renovation of a section of the building will be undertaken to make room for the program and purchase equipment, with the funds coming from the college’s capital improvements budget.

Chippewa Valley Technical College delivers superior, progressive technical education which improves the lives of students, meets the workforce needs of the region, and strengthens the larger community. Campuses are located in Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Menomonie, Neillsville and River Falls. CVTC serves an 11-county area in west central Wisconsin. CVTC is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) and is one of 16 WTCS colleges located throughout the state.