Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

Monday 19 July 2010

Shortly after I started my working life I remember my mother saying to me that she had read an article from the U.S.A. saying that in the future people should be prepared to change their career path every 7 years. That was in the time when most people went into ‘good pensionable’ jobs in the Bank, the Civil Service, and other Institutions for life and the mere idea of chopping and changing career every 7 years seemed absolutely unthinkable.

Such sense and sensibility, however, was never in my makeup as I always wanted to do something “interesting”, departing the first job after Commercial College in a Government Stockbrokers in College Green after three months for the brighter lights of the tourism industry! I have had many ups and downs over the years, and often wished I had listened to my mother but, on the other hand, I can certainly say it has never been dull! But that story is for another day!! I have always believed that no matter how hard it may seem you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and get on with it. We all have many talents and for some people what may seem like an overwhelming trauma may be a blessing in disguise. It certainly was such in my case – and on more than one occasion!

With the ups and downs of recession over the past couple of years I have met a number of people in the food, artistic, clothing, and craft world, who have gone out on their own and say they have never been happier and more fulfilled doing their own thing. Having worked with Waterford Crystal for 30 years, John Wilmot has in the past couple of years been developing his other passion – that of cooking. Waterford born John, whose father was in Waterford Crystal as a craftsman before him, lives in Tramore with his wife Martina and 14 year old son Gavin. John joined Waterford Crystal when he was 16 years old in 1978. “It was almost too easy, it was great, I left school and went straight into the factory when my father was still working there.” John took a redundancy package in July 2008 and has since made a new life in the food world. He was always “dabbling with cooking”. “I wouldn’t be too good at the vacuuming or such but I liked cooking.” John heard about a ‘new’ course at Waterford Institute of Technology, now coming into its third year, funded by Failte Ireland, called the Total Immersion Chef’s Course, which is basically a nine month intensive course for people with a passion for food who wish to train as professional chefs. During the first six months the student spends three days per week in the Institute of Technology and two days in an hotel or restaurant kitchen. The next three months is spent fulltime in industry and the final two weeks back in College.

John got on board this course and put his heart and soul into it and he was one of the special few who graduated with a Distinction. “ I got a back to education allowance and put the head down. I found it demanding and I had to focus and do my preparation all the time. Pastry is not my best subject, but I have improved. I like working with fish particularly and did Sole Bonne Femme for my Final exam. It is a terrific course with great varieties of food including bread making, Sushi, Mediteranean cooking, including pasta making which I love doing.” Not only is John now cooking but he and his neighbours, on the estate where they live, have set up a vegetable patch in a section of the green in front of their houses. “We are growing everything from courgettes to onions, carrots, cabbages, potatoes. This is what people want to do now. I went over this morning and picked a head of cabbage and the flavour is fantastic.” John is now working part time at Waterford Castle Golf Club under Waterford Castle’s superb Head Chef, Michael Quinn, and he really likes his new life.

Sean O’Malley, Manager Education Operations, of Failte Ireland, explained to me that there are three ways to becoming a professional chef where Failte Ireland funds the capitation and tuition fees in the Instututes of Technology. There is a two year full time course in College, a three year National Apprenticeship programme – part time in college – and the nine month Total Immersion Chef’s Programme integrating theory and practice.

The Total Immersion programme was inspired by the International French Culinary Institute in New York who do something similar, and the course here is designed in conjunction with them. Sean so rightly says “there is’nt always time for people to do a two or three year course.” The subjects studied are Culinary Skills and Standards, Food Safety and Nutrition, EU, Mediterranean and Global Cuisine, Pastry, Larder, Gastronomy, Culinary Science and Technology, Restaurant Service and Communication. These intensive courses “are not aimed at school leavers but at more mature people, maybe already in the industry in some way, or people with a real passion for cooking who might want now, for whatever reason, to change career and open a restaurant or some other food related business. Prior professional cookery experience is not a requirement, a passion for food and a mature attidue are the essential ingredients. A course at the French Culinary Institute such as this would cost something in the region of $40,000 and a 3 month Certificate Course at the excellent Ballymaloe Cookery School costs €9995. This course is available in seven Institutes of Technology around the country. At the participating Instututes, the Capitation and Tuition Fees are paid for by Failte Ireland and incidentals such as books, uniforms and field trips are covered by the students – these charges may vary from College to College. After gradutation students also have the opportunity to progress to a B.A. Degree in Culinary Arts by attending College one day a week – usually they get their B.A. in two years.

Jacinta Greene Beatty of Waterford Institute of Technology tells me that the Total Immersion Chef’s Course has been such a success and opportunity for people that this September they are introducing a similar 9 month Certificate in Restaurant Management Course. The subjects covered include Event Planning & Execution, Productivity & Business Processes, Restaurant Concept, Design and Maintenance, Restaurant Economics and Technology, Food & Beverage Commodities, Wine Studies, Menu Design & Development, Sales & Marketing, and so on. This course will be on stream in September in Waterford Institute of Technology, Athlone IT, the Kellybegs Campus of Letterkenny IT, and in January 2011 at GMIT. Interviews for places on the course will be taking place in August so applications should be in by the 31st July, 2010. Information on these, and other Tourism Hospitality courses, is on www.picktourism.ie or check with your Regional College.

www.lucindaosullivan.com

THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON 18TH JULY 2010.