SkillsUSA & CIA
Create National Culinary Training Center Culinary education at every level is at the center of the CIA’s
for the chance to go to WorldSkills. Judging took place at the
mission. To that end, the college has formed an exciting
Hyde Park campus in front of CIA chef judges. Under a tight time
partnership with SkillsUSA. Together they’ve established the
constraint, they each had to debone a chicken, ice a complete
SkillsUSA WorldTeam National Culinary Training Center at
cake, and small-dice three pounds of carrots. In addition, Chef
the CIA in Hyde Park, NY. The college is providing technical
Mattel interviewed each competitor. When all was said and done,
expertise and educational resources to prepare the national
Craig earned the privilege of representing the U.S. in the 2009
culinary champion to represent the United States at the September
WorldSkills Competition for Culinary Arts.
2009 WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Canada. CIA faculty member Bruce Mattel ’80 has designed a training curriculum for the finalist, who began training in January 2009 for the competition in Calgary. “SkillsUSA is proud to partner with The Culinary Institute of America,” said Peter Carey, coordinator of SkillsUSA’s WorldTeam. “By joining forces with one of America’s premier culinary educational institutions, SkillsUSA students will have a leg up in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on the world stage at the WorldSkills competitions.”
As it turns out, Craig is no stranger to competition. As a member of SkillsUSA during all four years of high school, he competed and twice earned first place in his home state of New Jersey. Those wins propelled him to a larger competition stage at the nationals. And now, for three hours every Wednesday morning, you can find Chef Mattel and Craig working together as Craig practices the skills needed to meet the culinary challenges he will face in Calgary next September. At that four-day competition, there will be 22 hours of actual prep and cooking time. Craig will have to
Craig Growney, a current CIA B.P.S. student, and two other past
flawlessly prepare canapés, duck and lamb entrées, a fish course,
SkillsUSA national gold medalists competed against each other
a hot dessert, a plate of mini desserts, and a mystery basket from which he will have to produce a three-course meal. Despite the fact that he has to fit the rigorous training schedule that Chef Mattel has created into his daily course schedule, Craig still has time to be a group leader for his class. When asked how he manages to do everything, he says, “Chef Mattel is a fabulous teacher; I love a challenge and, I guess, I thrive on the competition.” Right now, with Chef Mattel’s help, Craig is focused on learning to create superior minidesserts—medal-winning desserts— this time in front of the world!
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