Aspiring Chef at Schoharie School

SCHOHARIE - Schoharie high school senior and aspiring chef Gavin Phillips cuts corn off cobs in the Career and Technical Education Center – Schoharie Campus last week.

The Schoharie senior is preparing for a career as a private chef or culinary educator and credits Capital Region BOCES with providing him a full course education.

“There is always something going on, something new to learn,” said Phillips. “It makes learning fun.”

Phillips plans to attend SUNY Cobleskill after graduating in June.

He is among more than 120 students from two-dozen school districts enrolled in the Capital Region BOCES Culinary Arts and Hospitality Technology program this school year.

Students in the two-year program learn the skills necessary to enter the workforce as a chef or pursue additional training in college. Graduates work in restaurants and resorts around the region and beyond, run their own establishments, and even prepare food for professional sporting events.