From an AIR press release:

An innovative joint venture between Green Opportunities, Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina, Inc., Asheville City Schools Foundation, AB-Technical Community College, the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association and MANNA FoodBank will provide career opportunities in the food service industry, life skills training and potential job placement for future students of the new GO – Kitchen Ready Training Program.

The program, managed by Green Opportunities, will offer training in basic food service and technical skills in culinary, baking, food safety and sanitation, nutrition instruction, food vocabulary and kitchen math. A portion of the class will focus on such life skills training as interviewing, job search and retention skills, resume writing and management of personal finances. The use of local food products will be a key component of the program.

Students completing the program will be certified with “kitchen-ready” skills, including a SERV-SAFE certification and a mentoring program supported by Asheville area restaurants. GO, in association with the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, Goodwill Industries and Asheville City Schools Foundation, will provide job placement support.

Classes are scheduled to begin in March 2012 and will be held Monday through Thursday on the campus of William Randolph School. The curriculum includes 192 hours of hands-on kitchen instruction as well as 96 hours of classroom instruction over a twelve-week period. Two twelve-week sessions will be conducted in the first year of the program and classes will be limited to 15 students.
Costs for participating in the program will be covered for qualified applicants. GO will use the training to produce meals for distribution through MANNA FoodBank as well as for some school meals for students and their families at William Randolph School.

The GO Kitchen-Ready program is modeled after similar programs in other communities organized under the umbrella of Catalyst Kitchens, a network of organizations with a shared vision of empowering lives through job training, self-generating revenue through social enterprise and nourishing bodies and minds through quality food service. The Asheville initiative was launched with a start-up financial gift from the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, with leadership and vision for the project originating with Michel Baudouin of Bouchon Restaurant. Other key supporters of the project are Steve Frabitore of Tupelo Honey Cafe, Anthony Cerrato of Fiore’s and BB&T.

Mark Rosenstein, founder and former owner of The Market Place, is spearheading the research, development and launch of the Asheville program as its project manager.

Green Opportunities is an Asheville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives, communities and the environment through innovative green collar job training and placement programs.  The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association’s mission is to unite the independent restaurant community as committed to local people, local philanthropies, local businesses, local food and the local economy through genuine food and signature hospitality.

For more information about the program: GO – KITCHEN READY or contact Mark Rosenstein at 335-3328 or mark@greenopportunities.org

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