For my second potential editorial topic, I read articles exploring the low number of enrollments to culinary school and how it is shaping restaurants.
In the Washington Post’s article, “Culinary school enrollment drops even as need soars at restaurants”, the author explores how numbers for culinary school have been steadily dropping over the last several years, with significant decline within the last few years especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were numerous contributing factors as to why enrollment numbers are decreasing, including unpredictable work hours, no health benefits, no sick leave or disability leave, no overtime pay, high tuition rates, chefs wanting to learn more about restaurant and business management, and a focus more on work-life balance.
The article also mentions that with the high price of tuition to many culinary schools, many young people who are interested in working in the food industry could easily gain experience by working in a restaurant doing prep and then continuing to work their way up the ladder. They would gain the knowledge and experience that many would in culinary school without having to pay the steep tuition costs.
I think this topic would work well for an editorial. After the pandemic, many people had a greater appreciation for food service workers, but food service workers are also burnt out and the high demand for new workers isn’t being met. I think raising the federal minimum wage would greatly benefit and attract more people to work in the food industry, both high end restaurants and fast-food restaurants.
California recently passed a bill, the Fast Act, that would raise the minimum wage for food service workers as high as $22 an hour starting next year and could raise the minimum wage up to 3.5% afterward, according to the Wall Street Journal’s article, “Fast-Food Operators Mobilize Against California Wage Bill”. While this currently pertains to restaurants in California that have a pay first, eat second set up, it could pave the way for other states and restaurants as well.
Another factor that would help drive those to culinary schools is encourage students to enroll in culinary school with scholarships and other opportunities to get involved and lower the cost of attendance. In the Post’s article, most schools are accepting around 97% of all those who apply compared to the 36% of those who applied in 2001-2002.
The food service industry should be treated like any other industry – all workers should be given a higher base pay, health benefits, paid time off, sick leave, and other perks. Those who are working in the food industry won’t want to put in the time if they aren’t being treated fairly when they can go somewhere and have those assurances that they will be compensated fairly for their work and time. If those looking to go into the culinary industry knew that they had those benefits or compensations already secured, enrollment into those institutions could increase.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/08/30/culinary-school-enrollment-down/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/01/28/great-resignation-restaurant-perks/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/05/28/restaurant-workers-demands/
I think the issue of culinary school enrollment is fascinating, but I’m unsure how you would get to an editorial about it. I could see this as much more of a column topic. I’m just not clear on what a policy claim might be.
But some excellent research here and a great topic to write about at some point.