Another school year is coming to a close, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the time we’ve spent in the kitchen classrooms with our students. We are finishing out the semester in the labs, learning about butchery, baking, and catering/special events! Soon, we will be planting year two of the Sean Jones memorial Culinary Garden! (You can support the garden here! Please note that the gift should go to the Werthman Fund in the comments.) Our culinary students have accomplished so much this year—from stepping into their first kitchen leadership roles to learning how to properly hold a chef’s knife. What a joy it is to accompany them on their journey. CONGRATS TO OUR GRADUATES!!! Also a special shout out to our Skills USA competitors. This year’s pastry team took first, second, and third place! On to Nationals in Atlanta in June! We are so proud of you all!

As we head into summer, our students are preparing for their internships. This is a great time for our community to connect with students about positions they’re looking to fill. We often receive questions from potential employers about internships, so we thought a blog post was in order!

Students begin searching for internships in May and select opportunities that best fit their individual goals. Factors like location, benefits, hours, pay, and type of work all play a role in their decision-making. While we don’t place students in positions, we do guide them through the job search and hiring process. Some students know exactly where they want to work and need minimal support. Others are already employed and use the internship class as a chance to expand their knowledge or take a step forward in their careers. For students who are new to the workforce, this may be their first major career step—and no matter their background, all our students leave the experience with a much deeper understanding of the industry.

Our students seek out employment in all areas of the foodservice industry, choosing locations that align with their personal and educational goals. Some aim to work with James Beard-nominated chefs. Many have landed excellent positions in the kitchens of Twin Cities restaurant leaders like Gavin Kaysen, Alex Roberts, Marc Heu, Diane Moua, and Ann Ahmed. Others begin their journey at hotels such as the Four Seasons or the Grand Hotel (now Hyatt Centric), drawn by the opportunity to build careers that include travel. Some students prefer the broad career paths offered by large-scale providers like Compass Group USA or Delaware North. We also see many aspiring entrepreneurs who intern with food truck operators or catering companies to learn the ins and outs of running a food business. And for those passionate about food justice or nonprofit work, we’ve seen strong partnerships with organizations like Appetite for Change and Frogtown Farms.

Each student is required to complete a 96-hour internship. During this time, they rotate through all back-of-house positions to gain varied experience. They also spend one “shadow” day each with both a front-of-house and back-of-house manager and reflect on those experiences in writing. We encourage students to seek paid internships. After all, the goal of the internship is to prepare them for real careers in hospitality—and we hope many of them will continue with their internship sites beyond the summer term. Currently, students are earning starting wages between $20–25+ per hour. Sharing wage information with us helps students determine whether an opportunity is realistic for their needs.

Are you interested in connecting with students looking for internship positions? We would be happy to post your open positions on our classroom job board. Please send us a short posting that includes the following:

• Your Name
• A Description of your Organization
• Your Location
• Contact Information
• Hours and Availability
• Full-Time or Part-Time?
• Special Skills or Experience Required, if any
• Compensation, Benefits, or Other Enticements (Note: Minnesota employers with 30+ employees must list compensation by law)

We’re happy to share this information where current students can see it. Please email your posting to sara.johannes@saintpaul.edu.

If you’d like to reach all our graduates, we recommend posting on the Saint Paul College Job Board, which is visible to current students, alumni, and others across the MinnState system. This service is completely free! Visit: https://www.saintpaul.edu/studentservices/hire-a-student-or-graduate

Thank you for supporting our students. Wishing you all a wonderful summer.