A Matter of Security

By John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC

I am writing this to you as we begin a new year. Looking back at 2007, I see a need to fix something that is going to impact all of us in the places where we work: Our young people are losing the struggle to prepare themselves for gainful employment in the industry. They no longer feel secure in their abilities to make it in the working world. I see more and more young people becoming angry and frustrated, and feeling left out of the U.S. economy.

Just think about it. An entry-level employee normally starts between $7 and $8 an hour, which equates to about $300 a week. After deducting taxes and a basic healthcare premium, most of these employees will receive between $210 and $220 for a week of work. On this paltry sum, he or she has to pay for housing, gas and food. That means the employee will probably have to take a second job just to have the other basics of life, such as clothing and a small amount for entertainment.

Our educational system is not providing the basic education that allows young people to go into trades and professions at an entry level. Sixty percent of young people leaving high school today need remedial work in at least one class, and 40% need help with basic math, writing and reading before taking college-level courses. With the average dropout rate in the public school system at more than 40%, we are seeing greater numbers of young people getting into trouble with the law because they lack the skills to perform in the workplace.

How can we help them? I honestly believe that if we do not invest in our human capital, our economy will falter and fail. Ireland, a small country, invests large amounts of money in its education system and job training so that companies can develop within the Irish economy. What is different from our society is that in Ireland, where the family unit is still sacred, 65% of the population is less than 25 years of age, and Ireland produces the largest number per capita of computer-science majors in the world. When I left Ireland in 1975, it was one of the poorest countries in Europe. Today it's the second richest country in Europe and is called the Celtic Tiger.

What can we do as chefs and cooks to change the outlook of these wonderful young people who need our guidance? We need to go into high schools and emphasize the importance of a good education. Get involved with Big Brother/Big Sister programs, and reach out to the less fortunate and make them part of the great American family. This country has always been and always will be the melting pot of the world, and if we do not garner the courage to do this, we will lose a whole generation. Additionally, we will suffer from the greatest enemy of any free-enterprise society--mediocrity.

As Thomas Jefferson once said, "If you demand security to protect your freedoms, you have no freedom." Violence, to me, is the outcome when someone runs out of ideas. Dialogue produces the outcome of hope for everyone. Take that entry-level person within your organization and train him or her first in the simple skills of our profession. You will develop, eventually, a valued member of your team. The rewards will be enormous, and that person will know what the word "freedom" really means.

There is an old saying that charity begins at home, and if we have charity in our hearts and a willingness to help others, this country's economy will grow and we will all prosper together. So, yes, it is a matter of security, the security of our future, and if we don't invest in it, the consequences will be too awful to imagine. So let's get to work, reach out to that entry-level guy or gal and take them under our wing, and help them become part of the greatest dream of all, the American dream.