Record number of CTE students earn ServSafe Food Safety Certification

Eighteen students from the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Culinary Arts class have earned the ServSafe Food Safety Certification from the National Restaurant Association. This is the highest number of students to earn the certification at one time in the program’s history. 

In order to obtain the certification, students must pass an exam administered by the National Restaurant Association, testing their knowledge on topics covering food borne illness, contamination prevention, and proper food serving techniques.   

“I was very impressed when I received the results,” said Culinary Arts Instructor Heidi Rocha. “Typical passing rate averages around 50 percent because of the exam’s level of difficulty. This year, we had a 75 percent passing rate. I am very proud of all of the students for working so hard.” 

In the state of Michigan, every food service operation is required by law to have at least one person on staff with the ServSafe Food Safety Certification. “Students are very marketable as potential employees when they have this credential,” she said. 

Rocha is an approved ServSafe Food Safety instructor through the National Restaurant Association. Students in her culinary arts/hospitality management class can take the test free of charge by participating in fundraising activities. Typically, individuals pursuing ServSafe Food Safety Certification on their own pay $200-$1000 for both the training and the exam. 

Culinary Arts is one of nine Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offered at the Clare-Gladwin Career Center, a program of the Clare-Gladwin RESD. Students spend half of their regular school day in CTE and the other half at their local high school.