Culinary Academy of Las Vegas – Food & Beverage Programs / Kitchen Programs

Culinary Academy of Las Vegas – Food & Beverage Programs / Kitchen Programs offers training in bus person, fountain worker, and barista roles for students age 17 and up. It also offers Kitchen Steward, Kitchen Steward Pathways to Learning Understanding and Skills (KS PLUS), Professional Cook, and Baker’s Helper, with hours that include dish room operations, chemical handling, sanitation, equipment cleaning, stewarding, vocational English instruction, knife skills, cooking methods, kitchen operations, food production, plating, baking fundamentals, breads, pastries, cakes, custards, sauces, and desserts.

Programs

• Bus Person — Minimum age 17 · $1,200
• Food Server — Minimum age 21 · $1,500
• Fountain Worker — Minimum age 17 · $1,200
• Barista — Minimum age 17 · $1,500
• Bar Porter — Minimum age 21 · $750
• Bar Apprentice — Minimum age 21 · $975
• Introduction to Wine Server — Minimum age 21 · $1,200
• Advanced Wine Server — Minimum age 21 · $1,500
• Kitchen Steward — $1,600 · 70 hours (2 weeks). Learn dish room operations, chemical handling, sanitation, equipment cleaning, and stewarding best practices. Includes applied learning in multiple foodservice environments.
• Kitchen Steward Pathways to Learning Understanding and Skills (KS PLUS) — $1,600 · 110 hours (4 weeks). Combines stewarding training with vocational English instruction to strengthen communication and workplace readiness. Admission requires English placement assessment.
• Professional Cook — $3,800 · 360 hours (12 weeks). Comprehensive culinary training covering knife skills, cooking methods, kitchen operations, food production, and plating with extensive applied learning.
• Baker’s Helper — $2,000 · 165 hours (11 weeks). Learn baking fundamentals including breads, pastries, cakes, custards, sauces, and desserts with applied learning in production kitchens.

At a glance

• Ages: 17–18 years old
• Price range: $750–$3,800

About the provider

The academy was founded in 1993 and has trained more than 65,000 students since then. It says that every training program is licensed by the Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education, successful completion earns a certificate that counts as one full year of work experience with participating partners, and the site reports an 87% graduation rate and 88% employment after graduation. The academy also partners with over 50 employers, Culinary Union Local 226, Bartenders Union Local 165, and major properties across the Las Vegas Strip, Downtown, and beyond.

No high school diploma or GED is required to register for any program. Tuition varies by program. Eligible Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 members qualify for free training as part of their union benefits package. The academy does not offer Federal Financial Aid (Title IV Funding) but partners with community agencies for tuition assistance. Some programs require prior work experience; some requirements can be waived with CALV completion. The academy does not discriminate based on criminal record.

Last updated August 18, 2026.