Student apprentices are paid and can earn a certificate at no cost
PITTSFIELD, MA — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is accepting applications to its culinary apprenticeship program. Successful program graduates are awarded the industry-recognized ServSafe Food Handler Certificate and are job-ready for a wide range of food service employment opportunities, from school cafeterias and hospital kitchens to restaurants and private households.
Student apprentices are paid, and students of all ages may qualify for free tuition and fees. To get started, apply to BCC .
The 15-week culinary arts apprenticeship program blends hands-on, practical training with systematic accompanying education, combining classroom and kitchen instruction with professional work in the field. After seven weeks of foundational coursework, students apply their knowledge and receive further practical training by working with a Berkshires-area restaurant or other food service organization.
The Culinary Arts certificate prepares our students for working in the thriving food culture of the Berkshires. The program trains them to not only meet the standards of safe food handling required for the culinary industry, but also gives our students practical experiences with food preparation in a state-of-the-art learning environment.
Upon successful completion of the program, students should be able to demonstrate professional knife skills, correctly choose and use kitchen equipment and hand tools, maintain food safety and kitchen sanitation requirements, understand basic preparation techniques for a variety of foods, manage production of simple baked goods and participate in a fast-paced professional kitchen environment, among other skills.
Alexia Trainor, Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts, said, "Our teaching kitchen is your classroom — a professional, supportive space where you learn by doing. It’s a welcoming place where beginners and experienced cooks learn side by side." She noted that this semester, nearly all students have been offered a job in their host kitchen or hospitality department, and that most students are hired before they graduate.
