Groundbreaking Estate Management Studies Program to Train a New Caliber of Household Staff

NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dorothy Cann Hamilton, CEO and Founder of The International Culinary Center, has teamed up with renowned private service professional Christopher Ely to introduce a groundbreaking Estate Management Studies program.

This unparalleled program, designed with the "21st Century Butler" in mind, will endow household staff with the expertise and contemporary skills necessary to manage modern day residences. The intensive curriculum will include distinctive and comprehensive hands-on courses designed to meet the exacting standards and needs of a wide range of clients including working families, executives, celebrities, and royalty.

"Given our tireless workdays, electronic overload, and competing demands for time, the need for a contemporary vision of the butler is as persistent as our email," said Ms. Cann Hamilton. "European countries have trained household managers, personal assistants, butlers and the like for decades, but in the United States, high quality training options for professional home personnel has been limited.  With our new Estate Management Studies division, and Christopher Ely's dynamic and impressive skill set, there's no longer a need to import properly trained staff or send them overseas to learn international etiquette."

With three decades of experience in the industry working across multiple continents with A-list celebrities and royalty including Queen Elizabeth II, Christopher Ely will draw on his exemplary experience in household and staff management, computer technology, communication, diplomacy, and urbanity to educate to household managers, domestic help, and other household personnel, providing them with the expertise and skills required to manage any gracious residence.

The Estate Management Studies program will begin with introductory courses serving as a springboard to meet the specific needs of the individual or household—be it expanding and improving a current skill set; enhancing proficiency; advancing career prospects; or learning how to deftly and efficiently run a modern residence.

The initial, technique-based training courses include Essentials of Household Cleaning and Organization, Culinary Essentials for Household Staff, and Laundry Essentials for Household Staff:

Essentials of Household Cleaning and Organization

The Essentials of Household Cleaning and Organization course equips students with a full range of essential household techniques. The intensive curriculum covers everything from general and environmentally-conscious cleaning, dusting, and flooring maintenance to room-specific skills, such as closet organization and how to make the perfect bed.  Graduates accomplish a range of residential responsibilities inspiring trust, confidence, and respect in themselves and the most demanding employer.

Culinary Essentials for Household Staff

Culinary Essentials for Household Staff targets a burgeoning demand from informed and selective clients–whether it's for dietary needs, healthy meals the whole family will enjoy, or an increased focus on seasonal ingredients. The course endows students with culinary knowledge and entertainment skills beyond the day-to-day essentials, and the confidence to organize beautiful parties.

Laundry Essentials for Household Staff

Laundry Essentials for Household Staff equips students with the extensive knowledge of laundering, dry-cleaning, and clothing maintenance to preserve the beauty and quality of all clothing and household fabrics.  The course covers basic laundering principles, fabric care, a discussion of dry-cleaning versus hand-washing, machine versus air-drying, ironing, pressing, steaming, folding, packing and seasonal clothing storage.

For more information about Estate Management Studies, please visit

www.frenchculinary.com/estatemanagement.

ABOUT ESTATE MANAGEMENT STUDIES

The Estate Management Studies program is designed to elevate and equip household staff with the expertise and skills required to manage any gracious residence. The International Culinary Center, home of The French Culinary Institute and The Italian Culinary Academy will house the new Estate Management Studies program. Building on The French Culinary Institute's 25+ year reputation for education excellence and graduates of the highest pedigree, Estate Management Studies fills a void in the United States for teaching the tools and techniques of the residential arts, offering unique and comprehensive courses to satisfy exacting standards of maintenance and management in the home. Superior, real-life facilities located in New York City provide the perfect setting for the school's Total Immersion(SM) hands-on training, under the supervision of Christopher Ely, an internationally renowned private service professional with three decades of experience working in some of the world's most prestigious homes. For more information, visit www.frenchculinary.com/estatemanagement.

SOURCE Estate Management Studies