VoCul, our Vocational Culinary Training program, aims to increase area schools’ capacity for serving healthy, locally-sourced, scratch-cooked meals by training individuals seeking careers and employment in the K-12 school culinary setting. This 14-week vocational training program supports the workforce, school foodservice operations, and our regional farm economy.

Under the guidance of Chef Lachelle Cunningham, trainees learn about food safety (ServSafe certification included), school nutrition guidelines, large-batch scratch cooking, how to use industrial equipment, and more. The first ten weeks of the program consist of a mix of online and in-person training at The Good Acre’s commercial kitchen. A four-week internship follows at one of The Good Acre’s partner kitchens. 

VoCul is a pilot program of The Good Acre, in partnership with Casa de Esperanza and Cornerstone Advocacy Service. If you are affiliated with a community organization interested in being a VoCul program partner in the future, please APPLY HERE.

During the internship phase of this pilot program, participants are invited to intern with our partners who currently include: Hopkins Area Schools, Great River School, Chowgirls Catering, and Eat for Equity. APPLY HERE to be a host site for interns in the future.

Applications for Cohort 4 are will open June 1st and we will begin the next training in August of 2023.

Time Commitment: 28 hours per week for all 14 weeks of the program

• 10-week Training Phase includes a mix of online Zoom lectures, in-person cooking labs, and flexible remote work tasks
• 4-week Internship Phase includes 112 hours of on the job training in a partnering kitchen
• Graduation – Takes place during the final week of the internship

For the well-being and accommodation of all program faculty and participants, the VoCul program has been designed to be flexible to different schedules and personal circumstances, while reducing in-person contact and adhering to social distancing guidelines. Training is delivered in a combination of formats:

• Weekly online lectures through Zoom Meetings. Participants do not need to have a Zoom account to log in.
• Weekly in-person cooking labs (two full days) in a local commercial kitchen on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30a – 3p.
• Web-based components can be completed remotely with high-speed internet connection through the online class portal. 
• Internships take place at various kitchen locations in the Twin Cities metro area. Each intern completes their optional internship for up to 112 hours at one site.

Yes!

Participants are paid a weekly stipend of $420 per week with good attendance.

All kitchen equipment and recipe ingredients needed for in-person labs are provided by The Good Acre. This includes knives, smallwares, and larger equipment and appliances. TGA also provides textbooks for ServSafe certification, a chef’s coat for each graduate, and aprons to use while in the kitchen.

VoCul has extra transportation and/or child care funds available for participants to attend online and in-person training sessions. These additional funds are available by request. Students should contact the instructor directly to learn more about the request and approval process.

Applicants must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have valid identification, as required by the I-9 form
• Have a high school diploma or equivalency

Note: while our intention is to remove as many barriers as possible to training and employment opportunities, it is possible that some results of background investigations could deem an applicant ineligible for employment in school kitchens.

No.

Participants will graduate with the skills necessary to start a career in school foodservice, preparing nutrient-dense meals that taste good and get students excited to eat healthier. Our goal is to educate, empower, and equip participants with culinary and job readiness skills. We collaborate with our school district partners to create pathways to employment when possible. However, job placement depends on school needs at the time of graduation, and VoCul graduates must go through the district’s application process. We will gladly provide a professional reference by request.