Centennial College’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts has partnered with the Toronto branch of the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (CAFP) on a pilot project that will allow 12 graduating students to work in some of Toronto’s best restaurants and be mentored by some of the city’s most innovative chefs and restaurant managers.
The CAFP Student Leadership Program has been designed to help recent graduates get real-world experience and provide mentor support to develop specific skill sets. CAFP is currently accepting applications from Centennial students that wish to participate in this unique pilot program.
“The pilot will be for one year, and will consist of three consecutive internship placements of a four-month duration. These are paid positions with mentorship with the host chef,” explains Franco Naccarato, Vice-President Industry Liaison, Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals.
Beginning in June and running until May 2018, students will work at three different operations and, most importantly, gain leadership development from three chefs and managers.
“Batifole, Harvest Kitchen, Café Belong and the International Centre are the first four organizations to sign on, but there is already increasing interest from other leaders in this industry who pride themselves on being training grounds for the future workforce,” says Naccarato.
“Our role as educators is to give students the skills they need to be successful in their careers,” says Joe Baker, Dean of the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. “But we know their future depends on their ability to transition into the workforce. We’re committed to working with organizations such as CAFP and their partners to help our students enter the industry immediately after graduation. This partnership bundles leadership and mentoring into their first job, which will provide tremendous value to them for years to come.”
Among other requirements, participating restaurants will designate specific skill sets/cuisine types that they can provide in-depth training in (i.e., butchery skills, classical Italian, French cuisine, charcuterie, pastry, etc.). Restaurants can choose which candidates get to work with them. The selection process may include interviews/cook-off competitions and/or recommendations from chef instructors.
For more program details, contact Joe Baker, Dean, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (jbaker@centennialcollege.ca), or Franco Naccarato, Vice-President Industry Liaison, Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (franconaccarato@yahoo.com).