certifications for those seeking specific skills. four-Year degrees
For example, Richland College in the Beyond working in the kitchen, there is a
Dallas area offers an associate’s degree in world of food management that requires
travel, expositions, and meeting management a bachelor’s degree, says Shane Blum,
for students seeking to learn how to become program director of the restaurant, hotel,
meeting planners, and a certificate in meeting and institutional management program at
planning for hospitality professionals seeking Texas Tech University.
to broaden their skill set. Blum worked in hotel management
“The certificate in meeting planning is before he turned to teaching. And like
useful for people who want to be a conference James, he says a college degree is an asset. “I
or convention planner,” says M. T. Hickman, think students need one to really achieve,”
Richland’s travel, exposition, and meeting he says. “They can spend four years working
management program coordinator. in the business and getting paid as an
“The strength of this program is that assistant manager, or four years going to
there’s a lot of applied learning. Students school. And yes, with the first choice, they’ll
Get the CRediT
participate in an internship—they actually make some money. But with a degree, their
You deserve
work at a conference. The students work options will be open down the road—
behind the scenes, from sunup to sundown. they’ll go farther in the long run.”
T
It’s never boring.” Danny Arocha absolutely agrees with

ech prep in Texas is a great way to earn
college credits toward a technical career
Community colleges are also an excellent Blum’s assessment. He would know—he’s
while you’re still in high school. Tech prep
route for those seeking culinary careers. director of enrollment at the Conrad N.
programs center on “articulation agreements,”
Mary Kunz is the department chair of Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant
contracts between the student, his or her high
tourism, hospitality, and culinary arts Management at the University of Houston.
school, and community colleges the student
at St. Philip’s College, part of Alamo “If students want to be successful in the
would like to attend. The agreement includes
Community Colleges in the San Antonio industry, they absolutely need a degree to
recommendations for courses to be completed
area. The culinary arts program is among get to where they want to be—that’s even
before graduation and outlines a two-year
the best in the nation and is accredited by if they want to open their own restaurant,”
degree or certificate program.
the American Culinary Federation. he says.
selected courses in a Tech prep plan cover
The curriculum at St. Philip’s is not The Hilton College is consistently ranked
the same material as the equivalent college
only focused on food, but also on building among the top three hospitality programs
course, allowing the student to receive what
academic skills students may not realize in the nation. The college attracts students
is called advanced technical credit toward the
they need: “We require English, sociology, from all over the United States and around
college degree. It’s like a bank account. The
and math. A professional manager must the world, though Arocha estimates that
credit is banked for you at the college, and you
know how to communicate with people 65 percent of all graduates choose to work
withdraw it when you enroll.
and understand them,” Kunz says. “As for in Texas.
for more information on Tech prep, visit
math, a professional chef may be asked to “We are preparing our kids to be the
www.techpreptexas.org. ask your counselor
take a recipe that feeds eight and make it future chief executive officers [CEOs]
about advanced placement, dual credit, or
work for 450. Students don’t necessarily and chief financial officers [CFOs] of the
articulated courses and other opportunities to
think about that.” Hospitality & Tourism industry.”
earn college credit.
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