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CKA Application

Thank you for your interest in the Community Kitchen Academy Training Program. 

Community Kitchen Academy (CKA) is a 9-week job training program featuring: Hands on learning, national ServSafe certification, job placement support and meaningful connections to community. Plus... the tuition is FREE and weekly stipends are provided for income eligible students! At CKA you’ll learn from professional chefs in modern commercial kitchens and graduate with the skills and knowledge to build a career in food service, food systems and other related fields. Throughout the course, you’ll develop and apply new skills by preparing food that would otherwise be wasted. The food you cook is then shared with neighbors via community food shelves and meal sites. CKA is a program of the Vermont Foodbank, operated in partnership with Capstone Community Action in Barre and Feeding Champlain Valley in Burlington.

Since 2009, more than 470 students have graduated from CKA, having produced and distributed more than 930,000 meal servings. And... 91% percent of graduates have been successful in finding employment in the culinary industry.

Our training is 9 weeks long. We have two locations:
  • Barre: In Barre we meet daily 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday at the Capstone Community Action facility at 20 Gable Place in Barre, VT.
  • Burlington: In Burlington we meet daily 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M., Monday through Friday. The kitchen is located at Feeding Champlain Valley, 228 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington VT.

Applicants must be able to meet the following requirements:
• At least 18 years old
• Possess basic English and literacy skills
• Underemployed or unemployed
• Able to meet low income requirements
• Desire to work in the food service industry
• Pass structured interview with CKA Chef Instructor
• Able to commit fully to 9-week program. Daily attendance is required. Students must be on time and prepare to stay the entire length of the program.
• Physically able to stand and work for 7 hours, able to lift 50 lbs, able to perform frequent bending and tolerate a hot kitchen environment
• Able to follow multi-step instructions in a fast-paced environment
• Capable of the manual dexterity required for proper knife use
• Have childcare, transportation and housing arrangements in order
• Adhere to host agencies drug, alcohol and tobacco policies.
• Provide information about any criminal background / history. Applicants will not be accepted into the CKA program if they are a registered sex offender, a violent criminal offender or listed on the Child Abuse and Vulnerable Populations registry

We are looking forward to receiving your application. Applications must have a current working phone number where a message can be left. If we are unable to reach you at the phone number supplied, your application will be incomplete and therefore, not considered.

For questions please contact:

Barre, Capstone Community Action
Emmanuelle Soumeilhan, CKA Administrator           
esoumeilhan@capstonevt.org
(802) 505-5034

Burlington, Feeding Champlain Valley
Jon Barzensky, CKA Instructor
jbarzensky@cvoeo.org
office: 802.658-7939 ext. 30| cell: 802-318-0118
 
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