Article courtesy of the Work-Based Learning team<\/p>\n
Fifteen students from 37ECB, South County Community School,\u00a0and Monarch School recently participated in the San Diego County Office of Education’s (SDCOE)\u00a0Culinary Pre-Apprenticeship Camp, a two-week program that provides hands-on cooking experiences, field trips, and opportunities to explore careers in the industry.<\/p>\n
In addition to these skills, students also developed business plans for food trucks and showcased their skills at a culminating Student Food Expo and earned a Culinary Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate.<\/p>\n
The expo was an opportunity for students to showcase what they learned throughout the two-week camp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five student groups made culinary dishes that were tasted and judged by expo attendees, and each received an award. Dishes included aguachile, created by Las Comadres Mar y Dulce; pancake sandwiches by Morning Toasters; carne asada fries by R.H.G; Nashville hot chicken by FYE (For Your Enjoyment); and ribeye steak with mashed potatoes by Gourmet Go.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI feel proud and motivated to keep cooking,\u201d said Rey, a student at 37ECB. His team\u2019s creation, ribeye steak with mashed potatoes, was voted Most Favorite Dish by expo attendees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Las Comadres included the trio of Linda, Perla, and Carmiah from 37ECB.<\/p>\n
Carmiah said she enjoyed making the dishes and competing and learned a few things about herself in the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a really good cook, and I always come up with something, thinking should I add this or that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Perla liked learning how to decorate the plate while Linda thought she might want to become a chef.<\/p>\n
Taking place at both the Linda Vista Innovation Center\u00a0and 37ECB community school campus, the camp is part of SDCOE\u2019s state-certified culinary pre-apprenticeship program. The program is registered with the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards, and each student who has completed the program \u2013 including the 15 students who completed the camp \u2013 receive a pre-apprenticeship certificate of completion, as well as supplies and resources to help them land a job (uniforms, nonslip shoes, and knife set), an interview opportunity with\u00a0Kitchens for Good<\/a>\u00a0(a culinary and hospitality registered apprenticeship program and SDCOE program sponsor), and ongoing services and one-on-one support from SDCOE staff to not only land, but keep their job.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe pre-apprenticeship element of the camp experience really makes it so much more than just learning how to cook,\u201d explained Ernesto Rivera, a project specialist with SDCOE\u2019s Work-Based Learning team. \u201cOver the two weeks students gain the skills, confidence, and support they need to pursue a career in the culinary field, or really any other industry, and we find this pre-apprenticeship camp model an effective way to get students to really think about\u00a0what it takes to be successful in the\u00a0job.\u201d<\/p>\n Now in its second year, the pre-apprenticeship camp provides a unique opportunity to connect students to careers, giving them hands-on, real-world exercises that provide complete work-readiness experience and a tangible certification\u00a0that can be added to their resumes, ensuring students are competitive applicants as they apply for jobs in the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n