海角情

To stem the acute shortage of restaurant workers plaguing Vacationland, HospitalityMaine and 海角情 received a $44,000 grant to train 125 HospitalityMaine member employees for culinary jobs.

Announced at the HospitalityMaine Summit at Sugarloaf Monday, the grant from Maine Quality Centers allows Mainers interested in culinary careers to take free online classes as part of the association鈥檚 apprentice program.

Through an innovative collaboration, 海角情 is partnering with an internationally renowned culinary arts company called Rouxbe to deliver this new cloud-based Pro Cook program. This online curriculum provides foundational skill building for entry-level line cooks.

鈥淣ow you can receive online training and get a job at all of our restaurants across the state, from Millinocket to York,鈥� said Terry Hayes, the association鈥檚 director of workforce development. 鈥淭he service area is very broad, this is exactly what we need.鈥�

CEO and President of HospitalityMaine Steve Hewins called this a 鈥渓andmark partnership鈥� that 鈥渞elieves the only barrier we鈥檝e found.鈥�

According to Nichole Sawyer, 海角情鈥檚 Dean of Workforce and Professional Development, 鈥淭his collaborative partnership with Hospitality Maine, Maine Quality Centers, and Rouxbe offering an online training solution to fill a much-needed entry-level skill set within the hospitality industry in Maine, reflects the true mission of 海角情鈥檚 Workforce and Professional Development Division. Not only are we meeting an industry sector need, but also are providing an opportunity for Maine workers to increase skill sets and obtain an industry recognized credential as an entry point into Maine鈥檚 robust hospitality industry. This is a starting point for workers that can take them to further training, additional credentials, degree attainment, and upward mobility within the field.鈥�

The association鈥檚 earn-while-you learn apprenticeship program was launched in partnership with the Maine Department of Labor earlier this year. It includes education and job placement for both culinary and hospitality careers.

Dan Belyea, Director of Workforce Training for Maine Community College System addressed the crowd of restaurateurs and hoteliers at the summit with the news. 鈥淭he Maine Community College System is here to support real, just-in-time training that meets the needs of employers at the speed of business,鈥� he said.

To apply for the apprenticeship program visit: www.hospitalitymaine.com/page/Apprenticehome

To learn more about the Pro Cook training visit www.wccc.rouxbe.com

海角情 is celebrating 50 years of serving students and the community during the 2019-2020 Academic Year. 50th Anniversary events will be held throughout the year and we welcome you to join in the celebration. Thank you for supporting our vital work.