Work as a paid chef apprentice under the supervision of an experienced American Culinary Federation-qualified chef in this intensive 3-year program.
Future employers know JCCC culinary graduates bring more than a solid foundation of kitchen skills.
In addition to the management and financial sides of the business, you will learn to:
- Master all aspects of baking, cooking, and food preparation, from making simple salad dressings to artisanal bread, to butchering an entire hog and producing smoked hams and complex sausages, including grade-manger (cold-food preparation).
- Develop the skillset for supervisory and human resources management.
- Understand kitchen facilities design and management, including safety and sanitation.
- Learn the basics of nutrition and healthy meal planning.
- Become proficient in hospitality accounting and operational cost control for profit.
- Attend seminars in purchasing and menu design planning.
Past apprenticeships have included restaurants, country clubs, hotels, and venues like John Knox Village. Students worked alongside seasoned professionals, gaining real-world experience while providing mouthwatering menu options for residents. Check out this video to learn more.
Graduating apprentices can qualify to sit for the American Culinary Federation’s practical and written exams to become a Certified Sous Chef. This achievement tells future employers that you have reached a high degree of culinary skill and knowledge.
To be eligible for the Chef Apprenticeship program, you must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or the equivalent for consideration. After acceptance into the Chef Apprenticeship program, you will register with the Department of Labor and work as a paid chef apprentice under the supervision of an experienced American Culinary Federation-qualified chef.
Prior Learning Articulation
If you have taken either ServSafe or ProStart, you may qualify for credit for HMGT 120 – Food Service Sanitation and/or HMGT 121 – Perspectives of Hospitality Management. You will need to submit an articulated application for both HMGT 120 and HMGT 121 with the appropriate documents:
| Class | Requirements |
| HMGT 120 Food Service Sanitation (1 credit) |
Manager’s level ServSafe certificate (no more than two years old) |
| HMGT 121 Perspectives of Hospitality Management (3 credits) |
ProStart or National Restaurant Association or ACF Certificate (no more than two years old) |
You will need to submit an articulated credit application through our website to get credit for these courses.
Experience hands-on laboratory work using industry-standard equipment in 7 world-class professional kitchens.
Sharpen your skills in the 36,000-square-foot Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy, which features:
- Five culinary labs fully equipped with restaurant-standard appliances and tools.
- An innovative kitchen – the essence of a chemistry lab
- A culinary theater with a demonstration kitchen, where you can watch experts in action
- A pastry shop
Our faculty chefs are highly qualified; collectively, they possess many post-graduate degrees, high-level chef certifications, honors, and culinary competition medals. They have decades of combined experience working in restaurants, private clubs, hotels, and resorts worldwide.
Find employment projections and salary information at the Power BI Post Graduate Report.
Gain expert advice from our Hospitality Management Advisory Committee. Learn from the pros on a variety of issues, ensuring that you are prepared to enter the workforce and become immediately productive.
JCCC maintains one of the most competitive college culinary teams in the United States and the world. The 2018 team was the United States national champion.
JCCC students also represent our country as the Student Chef component of the U.S. Culinary Olympic Team and regularly travel internationally to compete. All students willing to make the time commitment to practice are eligible to join this team.
Email the Department of Hospitality Management at crawling@jccc.edu for specific deadlines, prerequisites, and other admission criteria
Need homework help? – JCCC has resources!
The JCCC Academic Resource Center offers free tutoring in almost any subject.
JCCC’s Chef Apprenticeship program was the first to get accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute and is currently the largest in the country. It is sponsored by the American Culinary Federation, the Greater Kansas City Chefs Association, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Contact info:
Chrystal Tatum, Apprenticeship Coordinator
Phone: 913-365-4829 (ext. 4829)
Location: WHCA 103H, Box 78
Email: ctatum@jccc.edu
