Community Foundation of the Lowcountry

Technical College of the Lowcountry

On today's menu - fruit tarts from scratch. Chef Neal Winn begins the class by instructing the students on the preparation of short dough. And then the fun begins. The kitchen classroom becomes a flurry of activity as members of the class race from refrigerator to stove to cabinets and back to stove. Mixing machines are brought to life and a sweet aroma starts to fill the air. The culinary arts class run by the Technical College of the Lowcountry is very popular and very successful. Since 2003, 42 students have graduated from the program with a 93% job placement rate in the industry. The 16-week course teaches students to learn professional skills needed to find employment as a trained culinary staff member. "Most are looking for jobs in the restaurant or hospitality industry," said Chef Winn. "Some are already working and just want to hone their skills." One of the goals set forth by TCL is to improve access to this program for welfare recipients, unemployed, and underemployed individuals. This particular class, taught at the Academy for Career Excellence has 13 students. Most classes see a broad age range of 19 to 65. Age does not seem to be a deterrent for entering the program. "It just doesn't factor in when it comes to getting into this business," said Chef Winn. For many of the Latino class members, the program is also a lesson in English. They learn that "vainilla" in Spanish closely resembles "vanilla" in English and that their success in the program will taste just as sweet.