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By Ed Avis
Have you ever considered hiring an intern in your kitchen? You might think it’s not worth the hassle, but many leading restaurant companies — such as Lettuce Entertain You, Pappas Restaurants and Restaurant Brands International — hire interns in their kitchen or in management trainee positions.
Mexican/Latin restaurants also hire interns, of course. For example, Fonda San Miguel Restaurant in Austin partnered with Austin Community College on an internship/scholarship program to honor the late chefs Diana Kennedy and Miguel Ravago. The first two interns, Jacob Pham and Nicolle Martinez Rivera, completed a semester at the restaurant last year.
“The experience seemed to be beneficial for all involved,” reports Olga Campos Benz, who handles media relations for the restaurant.
Here are five key reasons restaurants hire interns that we gleaned from our interview with Ronald Hayes, associate director of Career Services at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), which places more than a thousand interns (they call them externs) from among its programs every year, and other sources:
1) They want to give back. Many restaurant chefs, owners and managers began their careers as interns and feel an obligation to pass that experience forward. They know that they are contributing to the overall quality of the foodservice industry and helping students become better chefs or managers.
“We have alumni who had transformational experiences on their own externships and who want to extend that same value back to current students,” says Hayes.
2) They want to develop future employees. Many interns return to the restaurants as employees once they graduate from their culinary program, and given today’s tight employee market, it’s valuable for restaurants to develop these potential employees.
“For many [restaurants that employ CIA interns], the externship becomes a talent pipeline—building relationships with students who are great talents now to convert them to leadership tracks following graduation,” Hayes says.
3) Interns can help during busy periods. Many restaurants hire interns during the busiest times of the year because they need the extra labor but only for a short term. Restaurants in areas with busy summers, for example, could have an intern help pick up the slack without creating an obligation to keep the person after the summer.
4) Internships can be try-out periods. This benefit is a combination of numbers 2 and 3 – having an internship program can help your restaurant evaluate the suitability of a prospective future employee with an easy out if the intern doesn’t seem suitable for long-term employment.
5) They value the current work of the interns. Restaurant interns typically are students in culinary programs, so they’re bringing a certain level of skill to the restaurant. And they are generally enthusiastic about the work they’re doing, which can inspire existing employees. Hayes explains that CIA interns have completed two semesters of culinary arts or baking and pastry arts before doing their internships, so they already have some skills.
“They have been trained in the basics of culinary or baking and pastry and have applied that training in more focused production kitchens on campus,” he explains.
So, if you want to help students who are pursuing culinary careers, and maybe find some future employees, you may want to consider starting an internship program in your restaurant.
Ed Avis is the publisher of el Restaurante.
SIDEBAR: Culinary Institute’s Externship Program Builds Skills, Relationships
By Ed Avis
Every year, the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) places more than a thousand externs from its programs. These externs contribute their skills to restaurants, hotels, breweries and many other companies that value their presence and effort.
el Restaurante reached out to Ronald Hayes, associate director of Career Services at the Culinary Institute of America, to learn how that esteemed school’s externship program works.
el Restaurante: How long do the externships last? Do students continue attending class during the externship?
Hayes: Externships last one full semester. Externship is the only course students take during their semester, as they are working on property in a full-time capacity.
el Restaurante: What roles/jobs do the externs typically hold at the restaurants? Are these paid positions?
Hayes: We have externship opportunities at a variety of sectors in the large food business industry. These are skill-building positions, initially at an entry level. Of course, as students demonstrate their skills and abilities on site, they may naturally take on more responsibility, for instance rotating through different stations or areas, fully owning stations or projects, training others, etc. Domestic externships are typically paid positions—students are expected to actively contribute to their sites at the same level as other paid employees, at a full-time basis.
el Restaurante: How does the CIA find the restaurants that participate? What qualifications and/or preparation do the restaurants need to participate?
Hayes: Many of our hosts participate because, at one time, a student created a relationship, decided they wanted to work for this company, did an outstanding job while working, and the employer wanted to continue. All potential hosts first complete an application which includes presenting a detailed training plan (serving as the curriculum of the course), providing information about the location, providing the resume of the person taking ownership of the student’s education, and a video tour of the property. The applications are vetted by a committee of faculty members who assess the depth and quality of the proposed training program, the credentials of the supervisor, and the business as whole to assure all align with the learning outcomes for the course.
el Restaurante: If a restaurant would like to have a CIA extern, how can they start the process?
Hayes: The first step is to read more about the program, the expectations of hosts and of students through this link. Then follow the instructions to complete the online application.
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