Free training prepares restaurant workers
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NorthWest Arkansas Community College's culinary school is offering programs aimed at quickly training up people for restaurant jobs — for free.
Why it matters: Northwest Arkansas has hundreds of available restaurant jobs at any given time, and these eight-week programs are designed to quickly train people for the workforce, Brightwater executive director Marshall Shafkowitz told Axios.
The big picture: The goal is for culinary students to walk in on the first day of a job already having knowledge of how to operate in a professional kitchen, Shafkowitz said.
- These programs mean restaurants don't have to spend time training the new employees on the basics, Rafael Rios, owner-chef of Yeyo's, said. Rios noted it's helpful when employees already have skills including how to follow a recipe and correctly slice, dice and sauté.
- Rios served on an advisory board of chefs who reviewed the programs' curriculum. Involving a group of chefs who have helped shape the region's culinary scene represents an investment in the industry's future, Rios said.
How it works: Brightwater is launching three programs — culinary, baking/pastry and service. The first cohort of culinary students began in August. The second culinary cohort plus the first baking and pastry cohort will begin in October, and the server training program will begin in January.
- An $800,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation is covering the cost of the programs this year, including the space Brightwater is renting, food, equipment and salaries. The hope is to continue to fund the programs after this year through grants, Shafkowitz said.
- The training is taking place at the Market Center of the Ozarks, a Walton-backed hub for food entrepreneurs that opened last year in downtown Springdale.
What they're saying: "How could we help people who are not going to go get a degree but want to come into the restaurant business and hospitality industry while having a major impact from the employment perspective?" Shafkowitz said of the concept.
- The students must be at least 18 years old and able to attend 15 hours of in-person training a week, but the barriers to entry end there, he said. It's open to people who have restaurant experience and want to up-skill or change positions as well as people with no restaurant experience.
- The programs could be for people pursuing a career change, recent high school graduates or people exiting the military or incarceration looking to quickly get into the workforce, Shafkowitz said. He noted that some of Brightwater's other degree and certificate programs take as long as two years.
Zoom in: Depending on their program, students can earn certificates in food handling or in safe-serve alcohol training.
What's next: Brightwater plans to set up job fair-like events for employers to meet and talk with students, Shafkowitz said.