By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Barton Community College was able to highlight an educational program offered online for which the workforce demand is on the rise. The Dietary Manager Program was the first, fully online program offered by the college in Great Bend.
Emily Cowles, Barton’s Dietary Manager Program Coordinator, said nearly 40,000 job openings are projected each year for dietary managers.
"40% of the current workforce is between the ages of 55 and 64," said Cowles. "There are a lot of people in this field that are getting ready to retire. As the population ages, the long-term care industry is getting bigger. Long-term care is probably the biggest non-commercial setting for dietary managers."
Barton offers a 16-credit hour program which allows students, upon completion, to sit for Certified Dietary Manager credentialing exams.
While some students choose to complete their associate’s degree and transfer to a bachelor’s program, many students are already involved in the food industry.
"I would say the majority of the students that we have are already working in the field," said Cowles. "They might be a cook and trying to work their way up to a dietary manager. They also might be a dietary manager currently, but they don't have the credential that their job is requiring."
Cowles said dietary managers earn an average salary of $61,561 and can work in nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, K-12 schools and colleges and correctional facilities.