A new public-private partnership is providing an avenue for adults to venture into the culinary industry.
La‘i‘opua 2020 and HCC-Palamanui are collaborating on a program this fall, and again in the spring, which will provide a learning experience for post-secondary adults who want to explore culinary as a possible career.
The program centers on a free, non-credit, basic culinary skills curriculum. It includes working in a commercial kitchen, learning about safe food handling and sanitation, creating menus using local, healthy foods, use and care of kitchen equipment, and knife skills. Each student will complete a food safety handling course.
The fall cohort begins Oct. 11 and runs through Nov. 10; spring dates have yet to be determined.
Funded by a grant from the County of Hawaii, the program aspires to not only provide culinary skills, but to assist participants in taking the next steps to employment or further education in the industry and improving the health and nutrition of haumāna and their family.
The program will be led by Chef Trina Simpliciano Kahihikolo and Palamanui’s Chef Paul Heerlein, associate professor/coordinator culinary arts. Classes will be held in the evenings in the college’s culinary arts classroom/kitchen and in La‘i‘opua 2020’s commercial kitchen.
For more information or to apply, visit laiopua.org/culinary-program.