This paper presents the results of investigation and comparative analysis of the degree of importance and degree of performance as evaluated by career-interrupted women and employers of Korean food restaurants in relation to the items of culinary education. Specifically, this study was intended to present direction for culinary education satisfactory to both industries and academic circles and to explore measures that could help ensure effective operations of culinary education in vocational training organizations.
Women''s economic participation in Korea has remained the lowest level among OECD member countries. Thus, the government is paying attention to career-interrupted women who have ceased to participate in economic activities to take care of household affairs and child-rearing. There has been a heightening interest in socio-economic roles of women amidst rising demand for female workforce as industry is evolving to have high value-added structure. Female workforce needs to be leveraged to spur economic growth. Domestic food service industry has been facing difficulty in securing workforce due to imbalance in manpower supply while career-interrupted women population is not tapped into. To increase participation of career-interrupted women in economic activities, the roles and functions of vocational education and training have taken on importance. Integrating career-interrupted women into high efficiency workforce would be an important step towards increasing participation of women in economic activities. For that, culinary education measures which focus on career-interrupted women and their employers would need to be explored with the priority being given to professional vocational education and training that have high degree of importance.
The term, ''career-interrupted women'', in this study is defined to be the women desiring for employment, regardless of whether they are currently involved in economic activities. Korean food restaurants can be defined to be the place with unique Korean culture and sensibility, specializing in culinary preparation, offering and sale of Korean food menu to the public without any blending with foods of other countries. Currently, Korean food restaurants are classified into the sub-category of "Korean food business" in the category of ordinary food business in accordance with the 9th Korean Standard Industry Classification of the National Statistical Office(NSO).
The subjects of the survey in this study were divided into two groups: career-interrupted women and employers of Korean food restaurants. We conducted a survey of 150 career-interrupted women who received culinary education in vocational training organizations and had experience with re-employment at Korean food restaurants in connection with degree of importance and degree performance related to culinary education. Meanwhile, we also gathered opinions on degree of importance and degree of performance related to culinary education from 150 employers of Korean food restaurants who had employment authority and experience of hiring career-interrupted women.
For derivation of items related to culinary education which could be used as tools in this study, we conducted an in-depth interview of expert groups to ensure effectiveness. The derived items consisted of basic education/training, facility and equipment maintenance training, culinary theory education, culinary practice education, hygiene and safety education. Sub-items were compiled into 31 types.
In this study, we intended to evaluate the degree of importance and degree of performance with respect to culinary education among career-interrupted female culinary trainees and employers of Korean food restaurants who had experience of hiring career-interrupted female culinary trainees and to provide useful basic data which would help set direction for culinary education for re-employment of career-interrupted women.
In relation to basic education/training among items of culinary education, employers of Korean food restaurants assigned greater importance to ''basic humanistic education'' and ''interpersonal relationship education at work'' compared to career-interrupted women.
Regarding the understanding of kitchen equipments and structure in relation to the training on facility and equipment maintenance, employers of Korean food restaurants considered that degree of performance was higher than career-interrupted women did.
As for culinary theory education, employers of Korean food restaurants considered that the degree of performance was lower than the degree of importance in connection with cost control education, purchase order placement and stock control education.
Regarding culinary practice education, career-interrupted women considered that degree of importance and degree of performance were relatively low while employers of Korean food restaurants considered that degree of importance and degree of performance were high in connection with education on sales preparation such as preparation of food materials and utensils.
Regarding hygiene and safety education, career-interrupted women considered that the degree of performance was lower than the degree of importance while employers of Korean food restaurants considered that degree of importance and degree of performance were at relatively similar level.
Based on aforesaid results, a difference was found to exist between the two groups in terms of degree of importance and degree of performance.
Career-interrupted women will have greater self-realization and economic participation through re-employment if culinary education programs tailored to requirements of employers are designed to cultivate customized workforce and re-employment of career-interrupted women continues effectively.