The Re-Generate Opportunity
Program

We're creating pathways to employment with local food businesses by providing paid kitchen and culinary training for community members facing barriers to employment, with a focus on the re-entry population.

Our 12-week kitchen training program connects system-impacted residents to food jobs with competitive pay, positive work environments, and growth opportunities. Additionally we provide fair chance employment resources to local food businesses to support their efforts for employing a workforce that accurately reflects the demographics of Alameda County. With these actions, we are committed to seeing a shift towards a more equitable food community in the Bay Area.

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Recruitment

In collaboration with local workforce development partners, we recruit individuals interested in gaining employment in the culinary field.

Kitchen & Culinary Training

Individuals participate in a four-week paid training where they receive hands-on kitchen experience and mentorship -- learning the fundamentals of food safety, knife skills, customer service and self advocacy which are the essentials for success at their internship.

Internship

Trainees then move into a paid eight-week internship at partner food businesses. The internship gives participants live kitchen and food service experience that build off the curriculum they learned in the preceding training.

Gaining Employment

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. We invite graduates to receive continued support with resume development, interview prep and connections to partner social service and educational providers.

Interested in participating?

Learn about our next training cohort!

Best Practices

Our guide, Building Equitable Employment in the Food Sector for System Impacted Residents, highlights best practices for creating a kitchen and culinary training program that is adapted to the needs of reentry individuals to support long-term employment.