(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA – February 6, 2025)鈥擠id you know that there are nearly 800 full-service restaurants and 300 quick-service restaurants in Delaware County? Culinary is one of the top job opportunities in Pennsylvania鈥攁nd a Pennsylvania High Priority Occupation (HPO). For skilled workers in culinary arts and hospitality, the future is bright鈥攜et for business owners in the sector, the labor shortage is daunting.聽

Delaware County Community College is helping to meet that need by turning out skilled graduates poised to enter the industry. The College鈥檚 award-winning Culinary Arts program offers chef-instructors with real-world, high-end restaurant experience who teach 麻豆影院 students the art of creating fine cuisine. And it is a key component of 麻豆影院鈥檚聽Building Community Campaign鈥攁 bold $7.5 million initiative to provide greater access to education, promote social and economic mobility, and share the future of workforce development in the region.聽

鈥淭he chef-instructors at 麻豆影院 were excellent, and the College was incredibly supportive of my unique challenges as a working mother,鈥� says 麻豆影院 Culinary Arts graduate Khia Smith of Lansdowne, now pursuing her bachelor鈥檚 degree at Neumann University. 鈥淚 acquired not only great technical skills, but also 鈥榮oft鈥� and supervisory skills that will help position me for management jobs in the hospitality industry.鈥� 聽

Work continues in preparation for the January 2026 opening of the College鈥檚 new Southeast Center at the site of the former Archbishop Prendergast High School (401 North Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA 19026). The new Center鈥攊ncluding a full culinary demonstration kitchen鈥攚ill address the region鈥檚 economic and workforce gaps, creating a stronger economy and meeting employer demands. The fundraising goal of $7.5 million includes $5 million earmarked for the Southeast Center and $1 million to regional workforce development.聽

The Southeast Center is set to drive remarkable change in the local community. These outcomes, estimated at the beginning of the campaign, are projected for the first five years of the center鈥檚 operation and highlight its transformative potential:

鈥⒙犅� 聽11,030 qualified workers will be trained for high-priority fields at the Southeast Center.
鈥⒙犅� 聽Every dollar donated to the campaign is estimated to return $11 in local earnings.
鈥⒙犅� 聽The local economic impact generated by 麻豆影院 will be $1.5 billion.聽
鈥⒙犅� 聽94 percent of career/technical 麻豆影院 graduates are projected to work in their related major.

鈥淎s the demand for a skilled workforce reaches new heights, the College is poised and ready to prepare our career and technical education students to meet the ever-changing business and industry employment needs of the region,鈥� said 麻豆影院 Vice President of Institutional Advancement Laura Chisholm, Ed.D. 鈥淏y supporting the Building Community campaign, companies and individuals across Delaware and Chester Counties will help create a critical pipeline between students at the College and life-changing opportunities for in-demand jobs earning family-sustaining wages. It is about creating not just immediate workforce solutions, but generational change.鈥�

Business and philanthropic community members interested in forging strategic partnerships with the College are invited to attend special upcoming industry sessions. These forums will provide an opportunity to explore ways to support the Building Community Campaign through a named space in the new Southeast Center, a transformational gift to address critical workforce needs, or other meaningful contributions that will drive long-term impact.

Wednesday, February 12 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽STEM
Wednesday, February 26 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Skilled Trades/Advanced Technology
Wednesday, March 5 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Healthcare
Wednesday, March 26 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Nonprofits

The forums will be held in the STEM Building, Room 1403 on 麻豆影院鈥檚 Main Campus in Media (901 S. Media Line Road, Media, PA 19063). The program starts at 4 p.m., followed by a light networking reception. To RSVP, please contact聽RSVP@dccc.edu, call 610-359-5131, or visit聽dccc.edu/campaign聽to learn more.