A college program dedicated to training professional barbecue chefs has begun enrolling students in Yueyang, Hunan province, offering aspiring grill masters the chance to gain both academic credentials and vocational skills.

The Yueyang Barbecue College, jointly established by Yueyang Open University and the Yueyang Barbecue Association, launched enrollment on March 9 for its "degree plus skills" advanced talent training program. It is billed as China's first college-level program focused specifically on the barbecue industry.

Barbecue plays a major role in Yueyang's catering economy. The city is home to more than 2,000 barbecue restaurants and employs about 50,000 people in the sector, generating an annual output value of over 2 billion yuan ($290 million).

The program adopts a hybrid teaching model that combines online courses with in-person training, allowing working professionals to continue their studies while remaining employed. The curriculum covers the entire barbecue industry chain, including ingredient selection, charcoal control, and flavor development, as well as restaurant operations, cost management, and entrepreneurship.

According to the college, more than 30 experienced barbecue chefs have been invited to serve as instructors, and a panel of industry experts has compiled three specialized teaching materials to support the training.

Students enrolled in the "degree plus skills" program will spend about two and a half to three years completing academic coursework, followed by one month of intensive skills training. Graduates will receive an academic diploma along with a vocational skill-level certificate recognized by human resources authorities, it said.

The college also offers a shorter one-month training option focused solely on practical skills. Participants in this program will receive a vocational skills certificate upon completion.