FEED NOVA SCOTIA'S LEARNING KITCHEN

The mission of the Learning Kitchen is to use food training as a vehicle for positive change in people’s lives. The Learning Kitchen is an innovative solution that directly addresses the root cause of poverty by helping individuals to earn a living wage as a result of culinary training and job placement.

Life skills, mentoring and job training in the food service industry are provided to individuals who are strongly committed to obtaining gainful employment.   The students will be referred through FEED NOVA SCOTIA’s 150 Member Agencies and employment support programs throughout the community.

The 17-week program is offered three times a year, with each session accessible to 10 students.  Those enrolled will learn basic meal preparation, food safety and sanitation, kitchen systems, nutrition, and other skills necessary for entry-level jobs in the food service industry. A professional Chef will teach a variety of culinary methods to each class.  Speakers will also present the various options that are available to participants upon graduation from the program. Life skills such as team work, professionalism, customer service and job readiness training will be provided by professional consultants.

The Learning Kitchen will run in conjunction with our Prepared and Perishable Food Recovery Program.  Nutritious, healthy meals will be created from donated food and distributed to 42 member agencies that specialize in counselling and supporting disadvantaged families, youth at risk and women in crisis. Providing prepared meals to these agencies takes pressure off of their resources allowing for their efforts to be better spent on clients needs. 

The combination of life and trade skills will provide an excellent basis for program graduates to gain employment in entry-level positions within the food service industry. Upon completion of the program graduates will receive two nationally recognized certificates through the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council thereby placing them in a much more marketable position. Many of the skills that are taught in the program are also transferable to other career paths that the graduate may choose to follow.

Ultimately, by providing individuals with the basic resources to break the vicious cycle of poverty, the Learning Kitchen is promoting economic growth and stability in the community.