With a last name such as Cook, one might assume a career preparing delicacies might be a natural choice for this area teenager.
But for Guilderland High School junior Jayden Cook, the decision to pursue a career as a chef has more to do with opportunity than name.
“You can’t hire a robot to cook,” he said. “There is a lot of opportunity for jobs in the kitchen.”
Cook is one of 124 students from nearly two-dozen school districts enrolled during the 2023-24 school year in the Capital Region BOCES program, which is offered at both the Albany and Schoharie campuses. 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, own their establishment and even prepare food for professional sporting events.
“I am interested in cooking, it’s something I have always enjoyed,” he said.
For more information on the Culinary Arts & Hospitality Technology program. visit https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/culinary-arts-hospitality-technology/.