Davies Career and Technical High School in Lincoln has adopted a national certification program in culinary arts to upgrade the skills being taught, a step that experts say is vital in meeting the demands of the booming hospitality and tourism industry in Rhode Island.
Davies has partnered with the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association (RIHTA) to implement a program called ProStart, a national school-to-career initiative. Davies is the first school in New England to take part in the program.
ProStart will provide a curriculum for culinary arts teachers to follow at Davies that stresses the industry-standards that businesses strive to meet. The program is also heavy in hands-on education, requiring students to take part in 400 hours of paid internships.
“ProStart allows students to gain real world skills and serves to upgrade the lessons being taught in the classrooms,” said Frank Maher, director of the Education Foundation, which falls under the umbrella of the RIHTA.
Maher said ProStart was the result of the national Hospitality Business Alliance, which is composed of the national restaurant and hotel/motel associations. ProStart was created three years ago and has been implemented by schools in 18 states with the help of organization like the RIHTA.
The program, which started at Davies earlier this year, is funded by a $47,000 grant from the Northern Rhode Island Business Education Alliance, which is expected to fund ProStart again next year.
“This is the second biggest industry in the state. There are 56,000 employees in the hospitality industry in Rhode Island, which last year accounted for $2.1 billion,” said Maher. “So you can see why proper training is so important.”
Maher said Davies was selected for the program because of the experience of its faculty and the quality of its facility and equipment. He added that at least one more Rhode Island technical school will be added to the program next school year.
Stephanie L. Sullivan, spokesperson for Davies, expects ProStart to raise the bar for the school’s culinary program, which ranges from 25-30 students a year.
“Not everybody will make it through the program, which will now be more difficult,” she said. “Those who do make it will be in a great position going into college or will be able to jump into the workforce and make really good money.”
Sullivan said along with giving the school a curriculum practical for today’s hospitality industry the affiliation with the RIHTA brings exposure to hundreds of companies for the students.
“They have more than 400 members, which swings the door wide open for us. The internships will also be a great forum for the students to learn and create contacts,” she said.
The 400 hours of internship experience not only will provide experience and money, but college credits for students who choose to go to Johnson & Wales University to study.
Students who are certified through ProStart and log the required hours of internships will receive at least nine credits toward their degree at Johnson & Wales. For students that means skipping classes that would concentrate on the lessons they have already learned at Davies.
Maher said he is working on creating similar partnerships with more Rhode Island colleges and universities.
Johnson & Wales’ Senior Vice President of University Relations Manuel Pimentele, Jr. said the underlining and long-term benefit of the program is updating the skills of teachers.
“The single major issue is teacher training. They will pass these skills onto their students for years,” he said.
Pimentele added that the school has another, more selfish reason for getting involved.
“It’s about access to the next generation of hospitality students. They’re potential Johnson & Wales students,” he said.
