FoodWorks: Basic Culinary Training

Cooks are responsible for the detail and presentation of each order. They prepare ingredients by following recipes; slicing, cutting, mincing, stirring, whipping, and mixing ingredients; adding seasonings; verifying taste; plating meals; receiving deliveries; maintaining a sanitary kitchen. ​Entry level food preparation jobs are found in a variety of facilities​.​

This 12-week workforce development program is designed to give students interested in the food service industry on-the-job training experience in the Maryland Food Bank's Bauer Community Kitchen, a state-of-the-art culinary facility. The unique program teaches an array of cooking techniques, including knife cuts, recipe conversions, and commercial equipment use, as well as food safety and sanitation standards. As part of their real world experience, students will use donated food and locally-grown fresh ingredients to prepare a variety of meals from scratch for Maryland Food Bank Kids Supper Club and Summer Club programs, which are served daily in afterschool and summer enrichment programs

Students entering this program should have good communication skills, be punctual and prepared to work, willing acceptance of responsibility, ability to follow written and oral instructions, ability to follow safety rules and regulations, attention to detail, interact with others in a courteous and respectful manner, strong customer service skills, strong time management skills, be well organized, work as part of a team, be flexible, have good problem solving skills, and the ability to complete assigned tasks on time.​

Jobs as cooks, sous chef, line cook, prepcook, and kitchen staff are found at restaurants, caterers, institutional facilities, hospitals, and other hospitality venues. Additional career information may be found in Career Coach: https://ccbcmd.emsicc.com/.​​

Program Course Sequence