For decades now, as a country we've been extremely focused on pushing our children toward higher education to become scientists, engineers, consultants and the like. Don't get me wrong; I think that's a wonderful thing.

But there are, in my opinion, a few flies in the ointment. First, many of these jobs have the potential to be shipped overseas to people who can do the same thing for a third of the cost. Second, is that this mindset leaves behind a lot of kids. The truth is: not everyone is able to pursue that much education whether because of grades, aptitude or finances.

But a relatively new program at Cary High School called ProStart gives students options - as well as a crash course in the culinary industry. If students complete two ProStart classes and an internship, they leave high school with a National ProStart Certification, which gives them an advantage with a job in the industry or credits at some culinary schools.

The restaurant industry, even in this economy, isn't losing jobs. These skills can't be shipped overseas and are nearly always in demand. It's a $580 billion industry that employs nearly 13 million people today and will steadily add 1.3 million jobs by 2020, according to the National Restaurant Association, which sponsors ProStart in high schools nationwide.

"They ask students to complete a 400-hour internship in a restaurant. They also earn hours through catering events through school," says Tracie Dunlap, who teaches two ProStart classes and a Foods 1 class at Cary High School.

Dunlap teaches the students everything from basic knife skills, customer service, safety, sanitation and how to make a killer chicken stock. "So they actually see how everything is applicable throughout the service of the kitchen as well as the front of the house," says Dunlap.

Dunlap has been teaching the course for three years now. Last year, one of her classes catered her wedding. "They were there probably 18 hours in two days. They worked so hard. I was mixing a pot of meatballs with my students in my wedding dress," she says.

On Jan. 23, two teams of students traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to compete for the first time at the Carolina ProStart Student Invitational.

Teams had one hour to complete two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts using only two gas burners. The budget was $75.

The Cary High team won third place in the state and "Best Chicken Fabrication" among North Carolina and South Carolina teams.

Dunlap says not all of her students go to culinary school or work in a restaurant after graduation but one or two always find a passion.

"If anything, I feel sometimes I reach the kids that aren't always reached in academic core classes," she says. "I've developed some close relationships with students who needed just a bit of extra help to get through the four years."

No flies in that ointment.