Which hospitality or culinary career is right for you?

If you’re exploring programs in hospitality or culinary, you’re probably thinking about more than just what you’ll study, but also where it can take you. Hospitality careers are hands-on, people-focused and full of opportunity, and Fanshawe offers programs that lead directly to real jobs in restaurants, resorts, bakeries, kitchens, food production, events, travel and guest services.

This blog post breaks down Fanshawe’s School of Hospitality programs by career path, so you can see how your interests connect to future careers and choose the program that fits you best.

Careers in culinary arts and professional kitchens

Image

If you love working with food, enjoy fast-paced environments and want practical skills you can use right away, a culinary career could be a great fit. These careers are hands-on, creative and in demand across restaurants, hotels, institutions and catering operations.

Possible culinary careers

• Line cook or prep cook
• Chef or sous chef
• Pastry chef or baker
• Institutional cook (healthcare, schools, long-term care)
• Professional butcher or meat cutter

Fanshawe’s culinary programs

• Culinary Skills - A strong starting point that builds essential cooking techniques, kitchen safety skills and confidence in a professional kitchen.
• Culinary Management (Co-op) - Combines advanced culinary training with leadership and management skills; ideal if you see yourself leading a kitchen or running your own food business.
• Baking and Pastry Arts Management (Co-op) - Focuses on breads, pastries, desserts and chocolate, with an added emphasis on business and operations.
• Professional Butchery Techniques - This is a highly demanded trade with promising job prospects. This specialized program focuses on meat cutting, processing, food safety and sustainability.
• Cook II / Institutional Cook Apprenticeships - These options allow you to earn while you learn and work toward Red Seal certification.

Some programs, like Professional Butchery Techniques, also connect to food production and processing careers. See the section below for more details.

The culinary path may be right for you:

• If you enjoy hands-on learning, like working with food and want strong job prospects after graduation

Careers in food production and nutrition

Image

Not all food careers happen in restaurants. If you’re interested in how food is produced on a larger scale or how nutrition and food service support health and wellness, these programs prepare you for leadership and operations-focused roles.

Possible food production and nutrition careers

• Food production or operations supervisor
• Product development technician
• Nutrition or food service manager
• Nutritionist
• Food and nutrition manager
• Quality assurance or production lead

Fanshawe’s food production and nutrition programs

• Nutrition and Food Service Management - Designed for students interested in food and nutrition management, dietetics and food service leadership in healthcare, education and community settings
• Food Processing – Operational Leadership: This graduate certificate program prepares you to manage food production systems, people, and processes in manufacturing environments.
• Food Processing – Product Development (Co-op) - This graduate certificate program focuses on creating, testing and improving food products, with hands-on experience through co-op

The food production and nutrition path may be right for you:

• If you enjoy organization, problem-solving, and working behind the scenes in food and nutrition-focused environments.

Careers in event planning and hospitality experience

Image

If you enjoy planning, organizing and working with people, hospitality careers let you create memorable experiences, from events and conferences to recreation and club management.

Possible event planning and hospitality experience careers

• Event or conference planner
• Wedding or special events coordinator
• Hospitality operations manager
• Recreation, resort or club manager

Fanshawe’s event planning and hospitality experience programs

• Event Planning (Co-op) - teaches you how to plan, promote and deliver successful events, with real-world experience through co-op.
• Golf and Club Management (Co-op) - combines hospitality, business and recreation management for careers in golf courses, private clubs and resorts.

The event planning and hospitality experience path may be right for you:

• If you like working with people, managing details and bringing experiences to life.

Careers in travel and tourism

Image

Tourism careers are ideal for students who enjoy learning about destinations, cultures and travel experiences. These roles often combine customer service, sales and industry knowledge and can lead to global opportunities.

Possible travel and tourism careers

• Travel advisor or consultant
• Tourism coordinator
• Destination sales or marketing roles
• Airline, cruise or tour operations support

Fanshawe’s travel and tourism program

• Tourism – Travel (Co-op) - Focuses on travel advising, customer sales and service, flights and fares, group tour management, travel business operations, package holidays and hotel operations with work-integrated learning.

The travel and tourism path may be right for you:

• If you’re interested in travel, customer service and careers that offer flexibility and variety.

Why choose Fanshawe’s School of Hospitality?

Image

Fanshawe programs are designed with industry in mind. You’ll learn in hands-on environments, gain real-world experience through co-op or apprenticeship opportunities and graduate with the skills employers are looking for.

Whether you want to work in a professional kitchen, manage food operations, own a restaurant or bakery, plan events or build a career in tourism, Fanshawe helps you turn your interests into a career.

Your next step starts here. Explore your program options and choose the path that fits your future.