ACF's Educational Foundation Apprenticeship Program is Celebrating Growth

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Apprenticeship is a time-honored method of developing and retaining staff in skilled labor positions since the beginning of the labor industry. American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) is proud to announce that its culinary apprenticeship program has been experiencing steady growth and will be celebrating, along with other apprenticeship programs, during the U.S. Department of Labor's first National Apprenticeship Week, Nov. 2-8.

Through marketing efforts from ACF national staff and chef members, there are more than 1,800 registered apprentices in 40 ACFEF programs across the nation and 12 military installations. In 2013, the program reached over 1,400 apprentices and supervising chefs, nationwide.

"An apprenticeship program gives students a paycheck as they receive hands-on training and the book knowledge necessary to be successful in today's industry," said Cindy Komarinski, CCC, CCE, HAAC, Ph.D., ACFEF Apprenticeship Committee chair. "The education model allows those who are interested in a culinary industry career to experience the high demands of working in a restaurant and the intensity of being on the line."

This year, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has put renewed focus into growing and promoting apprenticeship programs and made the largest investment in apprenticeship in the nation's history by providing $175 million in grants to 46 programs across the nation. DOL also announced the week of Nov. 2 as National Apprenticeship Week. To promote the value of apprenticeship, ACF will highlight stories of culinary apprenticeship graduates on ACF's blog We Are Chefs (wearechefs.com) and social media with the hashtag #NAW2015.

"These programs are working," said Komarinski. "Foodservice establishments that are partnering with ACFEF's apprenticeship program are able to recruit and retain staff who are eager to learn and want a career in the industry. In turn, this helps lower student debt and solve the industry's labor shortage."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, on average, 87 percent of graduates from apprenticeship programs are placed in a position and receive an average starting salary of $50,000. In addition, an apprentice will earn an average of $300,000 more in wages and benefits over his or her career. To view more information, visit DOL's newsroom.

ACFEF's apprenticeship program, which is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction. Apprentices who complete the program have the opportunity to receive an American Culinary Federation Certified Culinarian^®, Certified Pastry Culinarian^®, Certified Sous Chef^® and Certified Working Pastry Chef^®, which are nationally recognized culinary designations.

In 2010, ACFEF partnered with the U.S. Army to develop the 92G Credentialing Program. The U.S. Army incorporated ACFEF's apprenticeship program into the U.S. Army's existing foodservice training program. Through the partnership, the program as elevated the level of foodservice training for soldiers, which modernizes the U.S. Army food service as whole and provides the soldier with certified skills.

About ACFEF's Apprenticeship Program 
In 1979, ACFEF created a set of national guidelines for the apprenticeship program through the efforts of Jack Braun, CEC^®, AAC^®, HOF; Ferdinand Metz, CMC^®, WGMC, AAC^®, HOF; and L. Edwin Brown, HAAC, HHOF. They were then able to register the program with the U.S. Department of Labor and made it a nationally recognized program. In August 2012, ACFEF received the 21st Century Apprenticeship Trailblazer and Innovator award from the U.S. Department of Labor for its partnership with the U.S. Army on an apprenticeship program for enlisted soldiers. Interested industry professionals can start an apprenticeship program in their community through an application process. More information about the ACFEF apprenticeship program can be found at www.acfchefs.org/apprenticeship.

About the American Culinary Federation 
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With nearly 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef^®, Certified Sous Chef^® and Certified Executive Pastry Chef^® designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.

ABOUT NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK
National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity for the Apprenticeship community to tell the story of apprenticeships and is an invitation to business and industry, education, career seekers, community based organizations, students, and workers to learn about the real world advantages of developing careers through adoption of the apprenticeship model.  Apprenticeship is for those who aspire to be great, lead in innovation and creativity, strive to innovate in business and industry, and recognize the value of combining paid on the job learning coupled with a substantial educational component to build generational greatness in careers and commerce.

Media Contacts:
Jessica Ward, 904-484-0213, [email protected]
Michelle Whitfield, 904-484-0254, [email protected]

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SOURCE American Culinary Federation

Related Links

http://www.acfchefs.org