Partnerships between business and post-secondary education pay off
Work force development has been a hot topic in recent months here in Maine, with a lot of discussion focused on creating a bridge between secondary and post-secondary education and jobs within the hospitality industry. I am an example of what happens when that bridge exists.
I took a high school culinary arts program before going on to secondary school with a similar focus and graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. I’ve been active in the culinary industry for more than 35 years, over half of which were spent in and around Maine.
If it weren’t for a strong secondary high school program and an even stronger college program, I don’t think I would be where I am today. As the owner of Bintliff’s Restaurant in Ogunquit, and as a former educator at York County Community College, I fully embrace the importance of Maine’s secondary and post-secondary culinary programs.
Currently, I employ a recent YCCC graduate and a second-year student from Southern Maine Community College. Due to the training they’ve had at the college level — combined with training in either a high school program or as an employee in the industry — my task of training a new employee is drastically simplified. They know the fundamental skills and they easily adapt to my business’s methods and recipes, allowing me to focus on running the business and not on weeks of training (and money lost).
During my nearly 13 years teaching at YCCC, our programs were developed by working closely with industry experts to make sure our curriculum met their constantly evolving needs. In order to guarantee our students would be prepared for immediate employment, we made sure that the skills and competencies we were teaching mirrored the current culinary environment.
Any business owner understands the challenges of selecting the right employee. Whether it’s within the restaurant industry, hotel industry, manufacturing or medical field, we all need employees. To that end, Maine high schools and trade programs and their dedicated instructors should be the starting point for recruiting future employees. There are seven community colleges in the state, with other private and state-funded higher education institutions. These institutions hold the future employees of our industry.
As business owners, it’s our responsibility to reach out to these educational institutions to see what we can do to help educators prepare our future employees. As a former educator and current business owner, there’s no better feeling than when I have the chance to work with a recent graduate or a current student and witness their application of the skills they learned in class to what’s “actually” being done in the industry. The return on their investment of time and money becomes more of a reality, and it’s a great thing to witness.
You might ask: How do I get involved with a local high school or college? The first step is picking up the phone or logging into your email account. Reach out to local schools, colleges or universities. Ask about career fairs and job posting boards. Ask how you and your business can help them better prepare students. You can offer to host a tour of your business to students and faculty. Some culinary programs look for mentors to work alongside students.
It’s important for students see that business owners can help them build the bridge from theory to reality. We are dependent upon high school students, and the traditional and non-traditional students in the colleges and universities, to keep our businesses moving forward. It’s all based in Maine, so shouldn’t it start here as well? This is an opportunity to directly influence a host of incoming employees — teach them well, and see the mark it makes on your bottom line.
As the owner, manager or even peer, you will see the rewards of supporting education while continuing to grow your own business. Students represent our future as business owners and our future as Mainers.
Norman J. Hebert Jr. is the executive chef/owner of Bintliff’s Restaurant in Ogunquit. You can reach him at chefnorm@bintliffsogunquit.com
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