Culinary Employment Pathways Program

Applications for the SUMMER 2025 Cohort will open in August 2025

The Culinary Employment Pathways Training program provides hands-on instruction on basic culinary and food safety and workplace soft skills.

In the first 5 weeks, you will learn the basics, such as kitchen safety and knife skills before moving on to more specific skills such as cooking methods, personal wellness practices, workers' rights education, plating techniques, and more.

Participants who complete the training and their Food Handlers test are placed into an 8-week internship at a local food business in Mandela Partner’s small business network. When matching participants with internships we consider schedule, interests, and transportation to find the best fit that emphasizes a continued learning environment. Participants will work with the business to set their schedule, with a max of 24 hours a week. Throughout the 8 weeks, our team provides ongoing support to both the participant and business as they navigate the internship. Program graduates will either gain long-term employment at their internship site or will be provided support to gain employment through our broader workforce network.

Best for:

Oakland and East Bay Area residents facing significant barriers to employment ready to take steps toward a first job in the food industry.

Cohort size:

8-12 participants

Time commitment:

Training: 12 hours per week for 5 weeks Monday - Thursday, 1pm to 4pm

Internship: 24 hours per week for 8 weeks

Where:

Oakland, CA at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland

2025 dates:

Upcoming: August 11, 2025 – September 18, 2025

Participant stipend:

$21/hour

Questions about the CEP program?

Please contact Natasha Nazer - natasha@mandelapartners.org