From Training Kitchen to New York Restaurant: How Apex Prepares Culinary Students

What does it take to build a culinary career in New York City? Beyond a passion for food, aspiring cooks need practical skills, an understanding of food safety, and the ability to keep pace in a professional kitchen. For restaurants, hotels, and catering businesses, preparing workers for these demands is an important part of building a capable workforce.

Since opening in 1961, Apex Technical School has graduated more than 55,000 students across its skilled-trades programs. Research.com’s feature on how Apex is closing NYC’s hospitality skills gap highlighted the school’s approach to preparing New Yorkers for opportunities in the food service industry.

Through hands-on culinary instruction and a professional externship, our Culinary Arts program helps students develop practical skills and gain exposure to a working kitchen environment. We aim to make career-focused training accessible to people ready to take their next step toward New York’s hospitality workforce.

New York’s Hospitality Hiring Problem

New York’s restaurants, hotels, and catering businesses rely on a large food-service workforce. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recorded 685,510 jobs in food preparation and serving related occupations across the New York–Newark–Jersey City metropolitan area, the highest employment level among metropolitan areas in its comparison. This figure reflects existing employment, not unfilled vacancies.

National projections also point to continued hiring needs across culinary and food-service occupations from 2025 to 2035:

• Cooks: +7% projected job growth, 393,200 average annual openings.
• Chefs and head cooks: +7% projected job growth, 25,200 average annual openings.
• Food service managers: +6% projected job growth, 38,800 average annual openings.
• Food and beverage serving workers: +5% projected job growth, 1,078,500 average annual openings.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

We recognize that preparing for a culinary career involves more than learning cooking techniques. Students also need to understand professional expectations and prepare to communicate their skills to potential employers. Our Career Services offers resources such as résumé support, interview preparation, job-search guidance, and career-readiness coaching. Prospective Culinary Arts students should confirm which services are available to them.

The school is committed to providing students with a strong pathway towards high-caliber culinary careers.

Steve Markowitz, President of Apex Technical School

Through hands-on instruction and career-readiness resources, we aim to help students develop practical skills for pursuing entry-level opportunities in restaurants, hotels, event venues, and catering.

Inside Apex’s Culinary Arts Program

At Apex Technical School, we believe the best way to prepare for a kitchen career is to learn by doing. Our 600-hour Culinary Arts program takes 24 weeks to complete and combines hands-on training in a commercial kitchen with a 200-hour professional externship. We offer day and evening classes at our Midtown Manhattan campus, giving students scheduling options to discuss with our admissions team.

Our curriculum takes students from foundational techniques to practical food-service experience:

• Build the basics: Practice knife skills, food safety, nutrition, and menu planning.
• Develop your technique: Learn core cooking and baking methods under experienced chef instructors.
• Prepare for service: Explore menu development, catering, event planning, and food presentation.
• Apply your skills: Complete a mock restaurant service featuring international dishes, followed by a 200-hour externship in a professional kitchen.

Our Midtown East campus at 210 East 43rd Street puts culinary training near Grand Central and New York’s diverse hospitality businesses. Chef Youngsun Lee, who has more than 20 years of experience in New York City kitchens, including Craft and Momofuku, joined our instructional team in 2026. His experience connects classroom learning with the standards and pace of professional kitchens.

High-quality, hands-on culinary training doesn’t have to come with a high price tag or require years of study.

Steve Markowitz, President of Apex Technical School

Our goal is to help students build practical skills for entry-level opportunities in restaurants, hotels, event venues, and catering.

More Than Cooking Skills: Building Professional Kitchen Habits

We know that preparing for a culinary career involves more than learning recipes and cooking techniques. Professional kitchens also depend on safe food handling, teamwork, organization, and the ability to work efficiently under pressure. Our Culinary Arts curriculum includes Professional Kitchen Fundamentals, where students learn essential food safety practices alongside the practical techniques needed in food-service environments.

Students preparing for kitchen work need to develop several habits:

• Food safety: Handle ingredients properly, maintain clean workstations, and follow sanitation procedures.
• Teamwork: Communicate clearly, coordinate tasks, and support colleagues during busy service periods.
• Speed and organization: Prepare ingredients in advance, manage time, and keep tools and work areas organized.
• Professionalism: Follow instructions, pay attention to detail, arrive prepared, and respond constructively to feedback.

These habits help students understand the expectations of a professional kitchen. By combining practical culinary instruction with an emphasis on safe and organized work, we help students build a foundation for pursuing opportunities across restaurants, catering, hotels, and other food-service settings.

Where a Culinary Start Can Lead: Exploring Career Pathways

At Apex Technical School, we help students build practical culinary skills they can use to explore entry-level opportunities in professional kitchens. A first role can introduce graduates to food preparation, kitchen coordination, and the pace of restaurant service. With experience and additional responsibilities, culinary professionals may pursue several career paths:

• Kitchen roles: Prep cook, line cook, and other food-preparation positions.
• Kitchen leadership: Sous chef or kitchen manager, typically after gaining relevant experience and demonstrating leadership skills.
• Catering and events: Food preparation and service for private events, corporate functions, and other gatherings.
• Broader hospitality: Front-of-house supervision and restaurant operations, which may require additional customer-service or management experience.

Our Culinary Arts curriculum includes cooking and baking, special events and catering, and global cuisine, giving students exposure to several areas of food service. Apex has graduated more than 55,000 students across its programs. This institution-wide figure reflects our history in career and technical education; it is not a culinary-specific employment or placement rate.

A culinary credential can be a starting point for continued career growth. As graduates gain experience and consider kitchen or front-of-house leadership roles, Research.com’s analysis of demand for hospitality management graduates can help them explore hiring trends and understand which skills employers value.

Support From Apex and The Fedcap Group

Choosing career training also means understanding the costs and support available along the way. Tuition for Apex’s 24-week, 600-hour Culinary Arts program starts at $16,500 before scholarships and grants. Our financial aid team offers one-on-one consultations to explain tuition and aid options and help students navigate the application process. Depending on eligibility, students may qualify for federal student aid, grants, scholarships, or veterans’ education benefits.

Apex became part of The Fedcap Group in September 2020, connecting the school to a broader nonprofit organization focused on creating opportunities for people facing barriers to economic well-being. Apex also offers Career Services resources, including résumé support, interview preparation, job-search guidance, and career-readiness coaching. Students should confirm with Apex which services are available to Culinary Arts participants. While these resources can help students prepare to pursue employment, job placement is not guaranteed.

Take the Next Step Toward Culinary Training

Building a culinary career starts with learning practical skills, developing professional kitchen habits, and understanding the opportunities available in food service. At Apex Technical School, our Culinary Arts program combines hands-on instruction with an externship to help students prepare to pursue entry-level roles.

Whether you are exploring your first career or considering a new direction, we encourage you to learn more about our training, class schedules, tuition, and financial aid options. Visit our Midtown Manhattan campus or contact our admissions team to learn more. Explore the Apex Technical School website to get started.