Workforce Development

Our workforce development initiatives are designed to support adults who have been out of the workforce or who experience barriers to employment to find and maintain stable, higher than entry-level positions in the food service industry.

We provide wraparound services for our students from case management, life skills classes, and referrals for supplemental services to transportation and uniforms – all while paying them for their work. Offering these resources and removing financial barriers create more capacity for each student to reach their full potential to achieve wage progression and professional advancement – ultimately gaining the stability needed in their lives to succeed. 

Our students work and train alongside professional chefs in our commercial kitchen and produce many nutritious meals from scratch every day.

Learn more about our programs below.

 

We start culinary classes every 4 weeks!

Our open houses are the best opportunity for you to learn about our program, meet the staff, and see what learning and being a part of the CKPgh culture is like.
They are held every other Wednesday at 10am. Come as you are!

Dates for 2023 are: April 12th + 26th, May 10th + 24, June 7th + 21, July 12th + 26th, August 9th + 16th, September 13th + 27th, October 11th + 25th, November 15th + 25th, December 13th + 27th.

Programs

  • 12-week Culinary Training program. We have articulation with the Community College of Allegheny County, which means graduates who are accepted into CCAC's Culinary Arts program can receive advanced standing up to 15 credits. Classes run during the week, Monday through Friday 8:00am to 3:30pm, except on major holidays. Post-graduation, students work with our program team to secure employment. Graduates who aren't yet certain of where they want to work can do a rotation (called a stage) with one of our employer partners, or a 3-month externship with an employer partner to ensure good fit. Graduates can also apply for a DOL Apprenticeship. During these extended training periods, post graduation, CKP does offset partial wages for employers who are actively continuing to train these participants.

    To learn more, email enrollment {at} ckpgh.org with Culinary Arts Diploma in the subject line.

  • As a part of our continuing efforts to improve the culinary education received by our students here, we have added an introduction course in baking that takes place over 14 days in 7 weeks, and an introduction to butchery taking place over 4 days in 4 weeks! Our in-house butchery course offers a unique chance for students to break down whole animal primals into production cuts with a local Certified Master Butcher. Baking provides hands-on education in everything from laminated doughs to meringues and more!

    If interested in taking these, separate from enrollment in our full Culinary Arts Diploma program, email enrollment {at} ckpgh.org with Baking and Butchery in the subject line.

  • We provide transitional job opportunities to those in transitional life phases – such as being unemployed, currently or formerly incarcerated, or facing other significant barriers –  who have at least one year of demonstrated experience working in a kitchen or who are interested in seeking employment in shipping or warehouse environments.

    3-6 Month Transitional Employment program in our Warehouse or Kitchen. The TJO program is intended to provide an employer reference, professional experience, a source of income, and the opportunity to work with our employment specialist to secure employment elsewhere in the industry. After 3 months, participants can complete the remainder of their transitional employment with an employer partner.

    To learn more, email enrollment {at} ckpgh.org with TJO in the subject line.

  • These are 2000-hour apprenticeships in Culinary, Baking, or Inventory Control. We are also working to expand these to bakeries and butchers for additional training outside of solely culinary arts. This can help offset a portion of wages during the training period. This allows graduates to use their work experience in their first year of employment toward a resume enhancing Department of Labor certification. 

    To learn more, email enrollment {at} ckpgh.org with Apprenticeship in the subject line.

  • Here at Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, the populations we serve, train, and educate are mostly covered under the Work Opportunities Tax Credit program for employers. WOTC offers an incentive to employers to employ those in qualifying populations, for those populations to gain on-the-job experience and to build long-term careers. This program functions as an opportunity to claim a part of an employee’s wages on an employer’s taxes depending on what population they are a part of. The populations which qualify include:

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients

    Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Recipients

    Re-entering citizens that were convicted of a felony

    Veterans

    Vocational Rehabilitation Referrals

    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipients

    Long-Term Unemployment Recipients