Stackable credentials and career/college pathways in culinary arts at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY

Discussions of workforce development emphasize stackable training, and assume linear advancement and alignment, through college and career paths. Stackable credentials have become a best practice for community colleges across the United States as they struggle to advance the college completion agenda and ensure that students graduate with the skills needed to find gainful employment. This study examined the concept of stackability in culinary arts at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York. It compared employment and education opportunities for students enrolled in short-term training to those of students enrolled in an associate degree program. Its goal was to explore gaps between employer demand for trained workers and long-term investments in education. The study also aimed to suggest ways in which we can meaningfully support students in their pursuit of degrees, even as they seek employment in a high-growth sector for which education, experience, and job titles are often an imprecise match.