Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Mesch, B. D. (2010). The impact of culinary student extracurricular work experience on graduate persistence in the foodservice industry. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest. Accession No. 872556263. [Graduate sample]
Highlights
- The study examined the relationship between participation in extracurricular food service employment during culinary arts training and two eligible outcomes: students’ post-graduation employment in food service and the proportion of culinary arts courses students successfully completed. The author investigated similar research questions in another study of current culinary arts students, the profile of which is available [here].
- The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the employment and educational outcomes of culinary arts graduates of one school who took part in extracurricular foodservice employment during their degree program with culinary arts graduates from the school who did not. Data for the study came from a survey of program graduates administered by the author and student records maintained by the school.
- The study found a statistically significant relationship between students’ participation in extracurricular food service employment during culinary school and postgraduation employment in the foodservice industry.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this study is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to food service work experience; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
The voluntary extracurricular employment in food service
Features of the Intervention
The author selected a sample of students who graduated from a Culinary Arts Associate of Applied Science program. During this program, students could pursue voluntary extracurricular employment in food service (for example, to gain career experience or help pay for school). Most of the jobs held by treatment group members were either in a kitchen (68 percent) or dining room (11 percent) setting. Nearly all (92 percent) treatment group members worked more than 20 hours per week.
Features of the Study
The author used a statistical test to compare the employment and educational outcomes of culinary arts students who took part in extracurricular foodservice employment during their degree program with those who did not. Study participants were 174 out 355 graduates of a private culinary arts program in Texas in the past five years that responded to an Internet-based survey administered by the author. The author collected survey data from those that graduated within the past five years and asked them to report the numbers and types of jobs they held since graduation. The analysis used survey data augmented by student records maintained by the culinary school.
Findings
Employment
- The study found a statistically significant relationship between students’ participation in extracurricular food service employment during culinary school and duration of postgraduation employment in the food service industry. Those who participated in extracurricular food service employment during school had longer duration of employment in food service after graduation.
Education and skills gains
- The study did not find a statistically significant relationship between participating in extracurricular foodservice employment during culinary school and the percentage of culinary arts courses successfully completed.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The author did not ensure the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. Any existing differences between the groups—and not their participation in food service work experience—could explain the observed differences in outcomes.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this study is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to foodservice work experience; other factors are likely to have contributed.