The Foodlink Career Fellowship launched in 2018 as a workforce development program aimed to provide pathways to prosperity for aspiring culinarians who have experienced barriers to sustainable employment.
A year later, the program achieved the distinction as the first registered cook apprenticeship with the New York State Department of Labor. Fast forward seven years and more than 50 alumni later and the Fellowship is celebrating the graduation of its 10th class.
On Friday, five graduates accepted their certificates of completion for the yearlong culinary apprenticeship. They are: Jayqwuan Coffee, Kanika McCrea, Moses Robinson, Da-Quan Travet & Loaymil Viruliche Laza.
Over the course of the last year, the graduates each completed more than 1,000 hours each of on-the-job training, and more than 880 hours of classroom training. They earned seven industry-recognized certificates, such as first aid, and food safety. Four of the students spent their externship at a local Wegmans, while the other worked at Grappa.
KayJona Rogers, a Class 3 alumna and currently the executive chef at Studio Lounge, served as the event’s keynote speaker.
“Joining this program gave me the ability to learn different techniques, social skills, personal skills and knowledge that I am using now and will continue to use in the future,” she said. “Keep going, learn, and always ask questions.”
