Inter-Faith Food Shuttle announces the enrollment of a new class in our revamped Culinary Apprenticeship Program, beginning January 13, 2020. Five students of varying ages, backgrounds, and genders will participate in the program—all bringing with them a love of cooking and a desire to expand their knowledge and expertise in the culinary realm.
The Culinary Apprenticeship Program is led by Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Director of Culinary and Catering Jim Hinger. During this twelve-week course, the group will learn key elements of the culinary experience in a restaurant setting—both in the front of the house and in a commercial kitchen. Lessons will include everything from the basics of safe food handling to how to prepare various types of cuisine. The students will also learn a variety of culinary- related soft skills, including how to serve appropriately and correct place settings, as well as job readiness skills such as writing a resume, preparing an elevator pitch and preparing for interviewing. Guest chefs are already lined up to help teach and demonstrate cooking styles and field trips are scheduled to area restaurants and farmers markets. The program will also utilize the Food Shuttle’s full-service catering operation, Horizon Catering, as an on-the-job training aspect when events are scheduled. The apprenticeship program will culminate in a celebration and graduation.
The Food Shuttle Culinary Apprenticeship Program, which began back in 1998, is funded through a grant from the United Way Community Impact Fund.
“We are excited about this program. It has been an integral part of the programming at the Food Shuttle in our efforts to eliminate the underlying root causes of hunger—one of them being under-employment,” said Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Vice President of Human Resources Andrea Breazeale-King.