LAOAG CITY — The Northwestern University (NWU) here, starting Monday, will open a two-year culinary arts program for students aged 18 to 35 years.
According to Marco dela Cruz, an Ilocano chef from the Center for Culinary Arts in Metro Manila and head of the CA department, “a pool of competent international culinary experts were tapped to prepare graduates to the international kitchens of premiere hotels and dining restaurants here and abroad.”
Equipped with top-of-the-line cooktops, convection ovens, stainless steel sinks, and a wide array of cooking essentials similar to professional kitchens in the country, the Laoag school’s culinary arts program is a response to the huge global demand for culinary artists and chefs.
According to dela Cruz, several international cuisines, such as Singaporean-Malay-Indonesian and Thai-Vietnamese, will be taught to students, along with East Asian, American, French, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisines.
Upon completion of a mandatory on-the-job training, graduates of the program will have the option to immediately join entry-level positions both in the local and international culinary workforce.
Earlier, the NWU established a 106-sq. meter culinary arts kitchen to showcase Ilocano students’ creativity in terms of cooking and food preparation.
The two-year culinary program at NWU also allows its students to be trained outside the country through its international partners.
Graduates of the program will be given a diploma on culinary arts, international internship certificate, TESDA certificates in baking and pastry, cookery and commercial cooking. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
