A Pathway to The Kitchens
Good things are cooking at The Kitchens these days. One of the best is a recruitment program to introduce high school students to culinary arts. Stacie Davis, Academic Dean, School of Business and Industrial Trades, and Chef Duane Brown recently sat down for a Q and A about the Reynolds Culinary Pathway program.
Q: Please tell us about the program and how it got started.
A: Stacie Davis: After learning about the Culinary program here at Reynolds and the needs of the industry, I worked with our Culinary faculty to determine the desires of the program - growth, outreach, community engagement, and meeting industry needs. These desires aligned with Reynolds’ Strategic Plan and were the foundation to build the new Reynolds student experience through the Culinary Pathway. This pathway starts with our high school Dual Enrollment students and will end with Reynolds Completers that are ready to fill industry gaps immediately! I knew the perfect person for the position was Chef Duane Brown, so I reached out to him on LinkedIn and the rest is history. He has engaged five different high school culinary classes in just a month and has helped us to initiated dual enrollment agreements with county vocational centers.
Q: How does it work: do the students visit The Kitchens for a tour?
Q: Is this a partnership with other outside groups?
A: SD: No, we’re going to local high schools with culinary programs with the initial focus on programs that currently offer Reynolds Dual Enrollment classes and those that may be interested in starting DE with us.
Q: What Reynolds staff are involved with the program?
A: DB: Admissions and Adjunct Culinary Instructor
Q: What are their roles?
A: DB: Admissions talks about degree options, financial aid and the application process. I talk about my career journey, emerging career opportunities and the importance of getting a formal education to be a competitive candidate for higher paying food jobs.
Q: What schools are you visiting?
A: DB: Chesterfield Technical Center and Hermitage ACE Center. We have met with five high school culinary/baking classes in both Chesterfield and Henrico counties. We will continue to work with these high schools and others in our local area.
Q: How is it working out? Will you continue?
A: DB: The students respond very well and ask questions about how to choose a college and how to compare college options.
A: SD: It's working out phenomenally! Not only will we continue, but we have the blueprint to reach potential Reynolds students, increase enrollment through these students using a clear and seamless pathway to create Reynolds completers with industry experience that are ready for the industry immediately, even before graduation! We are excited about the difference we can make in the culinary industry, Richmond community, and the lives of our students.
