Culinary Arts & Sciences

The foodservice & hospitality industry offers many employment options to motivated and skilled workers.  The horizon for expansion of the career opportunities in the Foodservice & Hospitality Industry include the following, however the possibilities are virtually unlimited:

• Bakers
• Food & Beverage Managers
• Chef
• Dietician
• Resort Activities Directors
• Catering Managers
• Procurement Specialist
• Lodging Managers
• Budget Analyst

We can expect new advancements in diet and food preparation techniques to continue to demandcreative and educated workers. It is the goal of this program to help students discover their hidden talents, develop work habits, and establish a network of professional contacts and resources that will yield success in the 21st century marketplace.

The instructional goals of the Culinary Arts & Sciences Program at the Arlington Career Center (ACC) include:

•  Advanced training for students seeking to pursue careers in the Foodservice and Hospitality Industry by providing opportunities to earn Industry Certification through the National Restaurant Association and American Culinary Federation.
• Exposure to career pathways within the Foodservice and Hospitality Industry by providing leadership opportunities through participation in the student-operated restaurant and concession trailer (Off The Pike), job shadowing experiences, and access to internship and employment opportunities.
• Access to post-secondary education by providing opportunities to earn college credits and post-secondary scholarships during there high school course work.

The ACC Culinary Program is dual accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation’s Accrediting Commission (ACFEF AC) in Culinary Arts and Baking Pastry Arts.  Secondary accreditation represents a commitment to excellence in culinary education.  Accreditation requires the proper organizational structure to meet excellence in curriculum, faculty, resources, facilities, and support staff. The ACFEF AC standards reflect proven best practices from culinary programs across the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) culinary education members and support the standardized objectives in education.

The ACC Culinary Lab is a fully equipped commercial kitchen, that is a licensed foodservice establishment permitted by the Arlington County Health Department.  Our emphasis on safety & sanitation, quality control, and efficiency provides our students with authentic foodservice industry learning experiences. It also provides students with a firm foundation upon which to build additional skills in post-secondary culinary school or the workplace.

The ACC Culinary Curriculum includes hosting guest chefs, business leaders, culinary mentors, and culinary institution representatives.  Our program has been very successful in advancing students into some of the most recognized universities and colleges in the nation, in addition to supporting students efforts to gain employment in top Foodservice & Hospitality establishment in the Washington DC Metro Region.

• SKILLS  – ACC Culinary follows the Virginia Department of Education Career & Technical Education course competencies for Culinary Arts I, II , & III (8275, 8276, 8279).
• CERTIFICATION 
  • ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification, National Restaurant Association(NRA)
  • Northern Virginia Food Manager Certificate, Arlington County Health Department
  • Certified Fundamental Cook (CFC), American Culinary Federation
  • Certified Fundamental Pastry Cook (CFPC), American Culinary Federation

• EXPERIENCE – Students gain hands-on industry experience through class labs, job-shadowing, APSVA catering events, and our student-operated restaurant and concession trailer (Off the Pike)
• WORK PLACEMENT AND INTERNSHIPS – Students that demonstrate professionalism and passion for the industry are recommended for job sites placement and internships at local foodservice and hospitality establishments. Our students have completed internships and/or earned employment at local establishments such as
  • Kitchen of Purpose
  • Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
  • Crystal City Hyatt Regency
  • Army-Navy Country Club
  • Flik @ Freddie MAC
  • Goodwin House Senior Living Community
• POST SECONDARY ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS – ACC Culinary currently has an articulation agreement with the following post-secondary institutions where our students earn college credit for completing the ACC Culinary Program:
  • Culinary Institute of America
• POST SECONDARY EDUCATION – College campus tours, recruiter visits, and scholarship opportunities through participation in the NAACP ACT-SO, Virginia ProStart, and college-based Culinary & Hospitality Competitions. Students that have achieved success in competitions have earned scholarships to post-secondary institutions such as the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University, Northern Virginia Community College, and the Art Institute, the Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College, and Auguste Escoffier, just to name a few.