State of the Art Restaurant Training Rolled out to Westchester County
Graduates showcased their new and improved cooking abilities today at their graduation reception at the of Larchmont & Mamaroneck.
July 10, 2012
By: Zoe Colon
It is the second graduating class since the program made its way into Westchester County in April. The comprehensive 60-hour training is provided by the Restaurant Opportunity Center of New York (ROC-NY), the founding and flagship program of ROC United, the only national restaurant workers’ organization in the United States. The Hispanic Resource Center (HRC) approached ROC-NY late 2011 to partner and roll out the program to restaurant workers in Westchester as well as those aspiring to enter the sector.
The “Culinary Arts/Back of the House” restaurant training curriculum includes basic cooking, pastry making, barista/specialty coffee, edible designs, Food Protector certification, soft skills/customer service and political education. The trainings are provided at no cost and in Spanish, eliminating language and financial barriers among the new immigrant, low-wage Hispanic population.
An integral part of the program’s success has been the collaboration with the Cook & Bake Center, a certified commercial kitchen for rent in the Village of Mamaroneck where the first two trainings were held. Owner Janine Goldentaier, a native of Venezuela, after completing the first cycle of training became the instructor for the second group.
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