Food Sector Job Training Program
This innovative program is working to resolve barriers to employment for residents of Fayette County while providing skilled, career minded employees to the local food sector!
About Food Sector Job Training
Creating Pathways To Employment
We started the Food Sector Job Training Program (FSJTP) back in 2017 and it has been one of our most successful programs! We’re exceedingly proud of our graduates, with 61% of them gaining employment after completing the program! We even had the opportunity to hire seven of them to work in FoodChain’s kitchen, helping us process all the rescued fruits and vegetables we glean from local farms.
FSJTP provides eight weeks of hands on learning experience working with gleaned seconds produce from local farms. Training includes lessons on kitchen safety, sanitation, knife skills, working with fresh produce, basic kitchen math and more! Plus, participants learn soft skills necessary for employment, including resume creation, conflict resolution, timeliness, and communication techniques. Additionally, we work with students to arrange for a local externship placement with a local food business to give them exposure to the career path in practice. All graduates obtain their Food Handlers License and are gifted a chef uniform, a knife kit, and a financial stipend!
With support from the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Economic Development office we were able to start this program, which we modeled largely after the DC Central Kitchen. Since growing, we’ve partnered with numerous organizations to help us extend the reach of this program, including partners in recruitment: Step by Step, Family Care Center, Housing Authority, Salvation Army, the Plantory, Chrysalis House, the Nest, LFUCG Probation & Parole Office, and many more.
We are very grateful for the support we’ve received to continue this program from the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the Marksburry Foundation, PNC Bank, and BB&T.
More Information
For more information on how to get involved with this program, please email us at info@foodchainlex.org
