HeartLove Place and Milwaukee Area Technical College Offering Free Culinary Arts Training Program to Teens

Milwaukee (March 9, 2023) – HeartLove Place, a nonprofit Christian Ministry located in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood, and Milwaukee Area Technical College are offering three, free, 10-week Culinary Arts & Job Readiness Programs to youth ages 15-19, starting March 20.

Youth must be either a current student of North Division High School or a resident from Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood. Funding for this program is provided through a grant from the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha which includes instruction, course customization, materials, chef jackets and food. This grant focuses on reducing barriers to employment and advancement. When everyone has access to family supporting income from work that affirms their dignity, our whole community is stronger on every level.

Upon successful completion of the courses, participants will earn three college credits, ServSafe Food Handler Completion Certificate and the MATC/HeartLove Place Culinary Arts Job Readiness Essentials Digital Badge. The badge is digital representation of an individual’s demonstrated skills, competencies, and certifications.

HeartLove Place has been a long-standing provider of job training in the field of Culinary Arts for adults since 2005. HeartLove Place has trained over 5,000 adults helping launch businesses, establish careers and certifying adults as ServSafe Managers.

“We are excited to partner with MATC as they offer the perfect opportunity to expose young people to the possibilities of a career in a state-of-the-art training facility with qualified culinary instructors,” said HeartLove Place executive director Viola Rembert.

“We are committed to helping people tap into their gifts and talents through the food service industry. It is our hope that these students will continue their education upon graduation at MATC.”

“This is a unique opportunity for students to learn about which could lead to careers as front- or back-of-the-house careers in culinary arts,” said MATC culinary arts lead faculty, department chair, and chef Paul Carrier. “Students will learn basic kitchen principles of food safety, kitchen organization, proper knife skills, egg and protein/vegetable cookery, recipe proficiency, equipment & smallwares identification and usage, as well as various types of cooking methods and procedures. All of these great skills will apply to their first job experience within the local hospitality industry.”

Interested teens may apply online at www.heartloveplace.org. All applicants must complete an application, write a 100-word essay and provide two letters of recommendation to be considered for this program. Applicants will be interviewed and selected for entrance into the program. The program is being hosted at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus, right next to Fiserv Forum.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.