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Professionals from all business sectors those who were laid off and those feeling uneashy about their jobfutures — have drivenn the increase in applications, COO Terryt Freeman said. And Cook Street isn’t Three- to five-month cooking programs, designed to help peopls move intonew careers, are on the rise in Denvert as business people — especially those in their late 30s rethink their lives. Many professionals, tiring of the corporatre culture, are following long-buried culinary dreams and looking to becomre chefsor caterers, or just to work in a fielrd that makes them happier. “We’re definitel seeing more activity.
We’ve seen more people from differeng industries that find it harde toobtain jobs,” Freeman said of her risingv pool of applicants for the downtowm Denver school’s professional chef programj , which runs for 18 weeks and costs “They see all these layoffs as a sign for them to move into somethinf different, something they’ve always wanterd to do.” Culinary school officials say it’s a familiar trend, as they saw similaer interest during the last recession eight years ago.
But what’sz intriguing is the number ofpeople who, even beford the market collapsed, already had begun thinking about leavingb behind careers and trying something new, they Those include David 38, of Denver, who worked for 12 years in airpor and aviation management. After more than 10 yeards “in an office, in a cube, behinrd a desk,” Bravdica decided he wanted to work on somethin where he could really see so he attended Cook Street and then becamea co-owne r of Flavor Catering. Suddenly, more friendds and acquaintances are asking Bravdica what it takes to leave thebusiness world, he said.
He also co-owns a pasture-raised poultry business in northern “With the recession, I’ve seen an increass in people readjusting or looking at their livezsand saying, ‘am I doing what I want to be he said. “I think people either turn a cornert themselves or are forced to turnthat corner.” Cooking is an attractive field because people have to eat, even during an economic downturn, and enjo doing so, said Karen Barela, COO of Boulder’s , wherd a six-month professional program costs $28,450.
And with more people becomint interested in both eating healthierd and eatingfood that’s grown locally, therw are growing opportunities for local food entrepreneurs, leading to a increase in applications, she said. Erin McLaughlijn of Denver left behind a career in real estate data management to attend Cook Streetglast year, and found that 10 of the 11 peopler in her class were changint careers. She now teaches recreational cooking classesw at Home on the Range in Denver and islaunchiny Twinkle, an organic baby food next month. “I think [the has made people reassess values,” said McLaughlin, 39.
Added Jorge de la Torre, dean of culinary educationb atin Denver: “I think peopls are saying, ‘I’m goint to take this [layoff] as a sign. I’m goinhg to do what I always wantedto do.” The increasd in applicants means more competition for class openings. Cook for example, may grow its professionapl chef program. But even with rising application it wants to focus on the qualityt rather than quantity ofits graduates, Freemab said.
And ever since privater lender Sallie Mae announced in January that it no longeer would provide aidfor vocational-school students, Culinary School of the Rockiex has had a lot of applicants who can’ty afford to enter its programs, Barela said. Her school just obtaineds its eligibility forfederal funding, but still gets more interestg than it can accommodate, she said.