Here at NECI, externships are an important part of our educational process where students are provided an opportunity to receive hands on professional guidance in the comfort of an educational setting. Students are also taught best practices on applying and interviewing for appropriate externship opportunities.
It is our goal to maintain strong relationships with the food and beverage industry throughout the country; we capitalize on our strong industry reputation to help provide our students with opportunities that will enhance their intellectual and personal growth.
Externships allow you to gain real insight into what the many professions in the food world can be like on a daily basis. What better way to see how you fit—to decide on a niche or create your own?
The externship provides students with the opportunity to further apply and practice the information and skills they acquired during residency. Students set learning goals prior to the start of their externship, reflect on their progress throughout the externship, and provide documentation of their learning experiences. NECI maintains a broad database of local, national, and international approved sites that are monitored and updated regularly.
Externships are also available at NECI, including a specialized program that prepares students for work in Michelin starred restaurants at home and abroad. Degree program externships require 495 hours of work experience at an approved site; Certificate programs require 135 hours. The Certificate and Associates degree programs require one externship. The Bachelor's degree program requires two. Students are required to maintain ongoing contact with the school during the externship program. As part of the externship program, students participate in an online course through which they receive ongoing advice and input from Career Services and their NECI instructors throughout their externship experience.
The externship is a very personalized process for each student; the student’s research and energy directly affects the quality of the externship experience. There are certain criteria that play a role in every student’s externship: financial, housing, previous experience, and time of year all impact the student’s choices and outcomes.
NECI has more than 500 approved externship sites nationwide, offering a wide range of cuisine, locations, salary, and benefits. Our database is consistently updated. Students who excel during their residency may be given the opportunity to extern with one of the premier restaurant groups or hotel and resort chains with whom we maintain close relationships. Our list of international externship sites also continues to grow. Our graduates work all around the world. By the time you finish your program at NECI, you will have developed an impressive list of contacts—from peers and colleagues to externships, guest speakers, and instructors, NECI staff, and NECI alumni.
Click here for a partial list of NECI Externship sites.
I watch these students grow and gain experience and confidence in their ability to turn their visions into reality. I tell them that baking is a mindset and a set of skills. The most important qualities for any good baker are curiosity and accuracy. You can’t be afraid to try new things. And you have to follow through with accuracy and precision. It can’t hurt if you really like desserts!"
We have a real opportunity at NECI to create generations of chefs who believe in the importance of using ingredients that are sustainably raised, harvested, and distributed. This means fostering respect for ingredients and teaching skills that minimize waste. At NECI, sustainable practices are woven into our curriculum. Being in Vermont puts us on the front lines of exciting changes in the way we think about food."
It’s the perfect school for me—small town, small classes. I love Montpelier and I really thrive in a close community. I need the encouragement that comes from having close relationships with your teachers. The small classes also make it easier for me to ask questions without feeling like an idiot!
I’ve worked in the food industry for thirteen years, but realized that a degree would give me better job security. I looked at Johnson and Wales, but felt that I would get a better education at NECI. At NECI, I can takes courses, for example, in Farm to Table and Sustainability that I would not receive at a larger school. I felt that that I would make better connections here. The people who work here knew my name before I even interviewed!"
NECI was the best decision I ever made, both because of the professional network it opened up for me and the skills I learned. Some of these were simple skills—others, like how to have a professional attitude and how to focus on ingredients and treat food respectfully are much larger. Some people go to culinary school to become star chefs—it takes different qualities to run a restaurant like A Single Pebble. You have to know how to create schedules that work and how to work with people. You have to have the spirit of a craftsman—to tell the story of the food you serve. It takes professionalism but also a certain passion and craziness.”
Food connects to everything in our lives. If you have a good culinary background, you will have tremendous opportunity in the food industry. I chose NECI because of the intense education, which I knew would prepare me for any path I chose.”
I wanted to be a chef. NECI gave me the training I needed, and opened a wide variety of possibilities—after NECI, you can go out and get any job in the industry you want. One of the great benefits of a NECI education was the hands-on approach to everything. You don’t just watch it, you do it! After all, it’s not easy to learn about meat fabrication in a lecture!”
Featured Externship Site
Showcasing 10 restaurants and 10 cafés and lounges, The Broadmoor offers Colorado’s only Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond restaurant (Penrose Room). All food emphasises on fresh, local, and sustainable ingredientsfor an authentic and unforgettable culinary adventure.
Featured Externship Site
In the heart of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Chef Daniel Boulud’s renowned restaurant delights with a distinctive contemporary setting and award-winning contemporary French cuisine. The restaurant is one of the few Manhattan restaurants to have earned a two-star Michelin rating and is a sought-after destination for weddings and events.
