Culinary Academy of Las Vegas

Specialties

The Culinary Academy of Las Vegas trains people for successful hospitality careers on the Strip. We offer 11 different vocational classes: baker’s helper, bar back, bar porter, bus person, food server, guest room attendant, house person utility, professional cook, sommelier, steward, and wine server. The Academy focuses on student achievement with a typical class having no more than 15 participants. This low teacher-​to-​student ratio ensures that every learner receives individualized attention. We also provide customer service instruction and vocational English classes for speakers of other languages. Students receive practical training through our restaurant, the Westside Bistro, and our catering operations, Culinary Arts Catering, which provides off-​site catering and banquets at our events center. In addition, the Academy handles concessions and is a caterer for The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, attend an orientation any Monday at 10 a.m. on campus.

History

Established in 1993.

In 1993 the Southern Nevada Joint Management and Culinary and Bartenders Training Fund was established under a trust by various Las Vegas Strip properties and Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, according to a collective bargaining agreement. The Culinary Union Training Center, as it was then called, served the future employment needs of the hotel industry and union membership through education and job skills training. Upgrade classes were also available for employees seeking advanced training to prepare for job bidding and career promotion. Classes were taught in an old Days Inn on Fremont Street in downtown. In 2001, the program moved to its current location in North Las Vegas. In January 2013, Chris Fava took over as CEO when Steven Horsford left to become a U.S. Representative for Nevada’s 4^th congressional district.