Something's cookin' in Decatur!
In this week's Skilled to Work, we head to the Career Academies of Decatur.
Instructors there are cultivating tomorrow's restaurateurs.
"Right now, we're learning about the five mother sauces," said Kaitlyn Brooks, a 10th grader in the Culinary Arts Academy.
The kitchen is more like Brooks' classroom.
"It taught me more of the routines and more the ins and outs and secrets about the cooking industry," said Joshua Hernandez Blanco, a 10th grader in the Culinary Arts Program.
For Hernandez Blanco, he found his passion for cooking growing up.
"I just wanted to find a more professional level," said Hernandez Blanco.
He's taking the course to see if his love for cooking could turn into a career in the culinary arts or hospitality field.
"I learned more about the business side of it," said Hernandez Blanco. "I can just serve people better and improve myself in the kitchen."
Instructor Darrell Echols said lessons first take place in a typical, classroom-like setting.
"We talk about safety and sanitation, how to load the refrigerator, how to wash dishes, how to wash your hands," said Echols.
Following classroom instruction comes lab. That's where students get their hats and coats on, enter the kitchen and get their hands dirty.
"We run the full gamut, so we'll talk anything from a backyard barbecue to a gala or wedding reception, different cultures, so this is actually culinary school," said Echols.
Echols said the program recreates real-world scenarios, too.
"In Career Tech, what we call simulated workplace," said Echols. "The students are given different titles or different jobs."
After four years, students can walk out of the kitchen with a ServSafe certification under the National Restaurant Association. A certification like that makes them more marketable to future employers.
On March 6, five students will head to Orange Beach for a three-course meal competition against other schools in the state.
Find out more about the programÂ
