Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Hospitality Institute, working under the umbrella of the Miami International Hospitality Center, is offering Camillus House residents comprehensive kitchen cook employment training at the shelter, which offers a variety of services and care for poor and homeless individuals.
The Kitchen Cook Employment Training (KCET) program consists of seven weeks / 200 hours of instruction in basic culinary skills, food safety and sanitation, customer service, and industry related workforce readiness skills, based on American Culinary Federation standards and American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute Kitchen Cook Program curriculum and certification. The program culminates with a certificate of completion and SafeStaff Food Handler certification.
In addition, participants receive job placement assistance by MDC’s Hospitality Institute and CareerSource South Florida upon completion of the program. The first cohort of 13 participants all received job offers from various industry organizations, including Marlins Stadium, Marriott Biscayne Bay, and Levy’s Restaurants, among others. One student received a job offer from Fiola, a high-end restaurant in Coral Gables and is currently employed there.
“We see a renewed sense of optimism and purpose for this first pilot cohort of participants from Camillus House and look forward to CareerSource making this a permanent training in the new fiscal year,” said Shelly Fano, executive director of MDC’s Hospitality Institute and chair of the Miami International Hospitality Center.
The second group of trainees will begin the program March 18. Training sessions will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through May 3 at Camillus House.