Do you want to be the executive chef?  cooking schools can teach you the basics?

As we stated before, you must go to school if you are hoping to be head cooking chef or executive chef.

There are many avenues that you could choose when deciding where or how you would like to get your training. It really just depends on what kind of credentials you are hoping to get.

There are a few places that you can go to get your chef training. You can choose Colleges or universities, trade or vocational schools and an apprenticeship.

To become an executive chef that can work anywhere in the world you generally need an apprenticeship and some credited work behind you.

There are the real differences from all of these choices so that you can make the best one for you.

Accredited Colleges, Universities & Culinary Academies for cooking

Going to a 2-4 year college in order to become a certified chef is the best place to start if you are hoping to be accredited nationwide.

College courses offer you are more rounded view of the culinary industry and give you much of the skills that you will need in order to excel at your field. Qualifications & Advancement

Employers at finer restaurants are more eager to hire an accredited chef that has a college degree in the field than a graduate from a trade school. This is also a great way to know that you are accredited all over the world as well.

Trade schools may not necessarily grant you the same promise. Naturally, there are some pros and cons to choosing to get your certification from a College or University. Lets take a look at them.

Pros	Cons
2-4 year College or University: You are accredited worldwide	It takes 2-4 years of study to get your certification
You will receive your post secondary diploma	The cost is much higher than any other method of training
You can often start in a head position in the kitchen	It saves you little time to get your hands on experience working in a kitchen
You are eligible for a higher starting wage	You may not be eligible for an apprenticeship
You can make invaluable connections in the business	The competition is fierce for graduating with honors
You are recognized in the field as a chef once completed	Not all colleges offer chef training
You get hands on personal help	You are still required to apprentice somewhere (time consuming)

As you can see the benefits of choosing to get your training in a college or university can have it drawbacks as well as its good points.

The best reasons to choose a college is that you will be accredited worldwide which is not possible with other methods. As a college graduate in this field you are recognized in the field as a chef for a lifetime, whereas a trade school will not let you be recognized until you are hired as a chef.

Tuition can also be an issue although many colleges and universities offer financial aid if you qualify for it. What do I have to do to be a chef?

Most schools that offer you the chance to become a chef can have their tuition range anywhere from R35 000 to R105 000 per year. That is quite a bit of money, but the benefits are well worth it.

There are many more colleges that can train you to become a chef and cooking, but you get the idea. Many culinary institutes are just as good as colleges and Universities, and in some cases better. How do I Start?

Some culinary academies can even get you credited in as little as 9 months.

Culinary Academies often let you live on campus as part of your tuition, and cover your food costs. They actually train you while you cook all of your meals. That's helpful and practical!