New Johnson & Wales Univ. cook course offers job placement at local restaurant
Westerly, R.I. (WLNE) – Enrollment is available for free 1 & 2 cooking courses at Johnson & Wales University. The instructional courses allow adults to break into the culinary industry while working at restaurants in the local area. Courses will provide skills and trainings that will begin in January. Courses are offered by Westerly Educational Center in collaboration with Johnson & Wales University, a global leader in food education, Royce Associates, and nine restaurants in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
It will take place over a 12-week span of covering culinary theory, cooking methods, knife-cutting, nutrition, product and equipment identification, food safety and more. It is a pass/fail course in which participants will take the national ServSafe@ Food Handlers and ServSafe Allergens Exams if qualified.
According to Assistant Dean of Johnson & Wales, College of Food Innovation & Technology, Thomas J. Delle Donne “After the first two weeks of instruction, students will benefit from in-restaurant training so they can practice what they are learning in real-world setting with professional supervision.” He also added, “Importantly, students will also be paid for their work while they learn, so this is an ideal training program for an adult who cannot put life on hold for 12 weeks while earning a post secondary credential needed for work.”
“This workforce training program not only helps people with a passion for food skill up, get credentialed, and land great jobs, it’s a program that will help restaurants in the tourism-reliant southern part of the state employ qualified workers,” said executive director of Westerly Education Center Amy Grybowski.
Rhode Island and Connecticut restaurants involved in the training, internship and employment of the students are: Ocean House, Jealous Monk, Rio Salado, Taquerio, Dunn’s Corner Marker, Vetrano’s, The Andrea, Casa Della Luce, and The Breachway Grill.
Funding was made possible by a Real Jobs RI PITCH grant that allows the training to be free.
To register call 401-584-4931 or email Faith. Hanson@riopc.edu.
