EDUCATION
Beginning in fall 2009, the American
Culinary Federation Education Foundation
(ACFEF) Apprenticeship Program started
the process of updating itself. This process
has involved many facets, but none more
important than the Pilot Site program.
Apprenticeship Pilot Sites
By Nick Weber
The Pilot Site program consists of four
separate apprenticeship programs from
across the nation that have agreed to host
the launch and testing of new initiatives
made possible through the funding of the
U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) grant.
(The USDOL awarded ACFEF a grant in the
amount of $481,200 Aug. 5, 2009, for the
ACFEF Apprenticeship Program to advance
the growing needs of apprenticeship in
the 21st century.) These pilot sites will
make it possible for the ACFEF to test and
ensure quality and pertinence within its new
initiatives before launching them in full.
These four pilot sites will be the first
apprenticeship programs to use the new
Online Learning Portal. The portal is not
only an online version of the logbook
and ledger for apprentices; it is an online
resource library and communication tool
for chefs and apprentices alike. The portal
will create a much more efficient and
accurate experience for all involved.
The four pilot sites that have agreed to
assist the ACFEF in this manner are
representative of the four ACF regions. The
Southeast region is represented by Indian
River State College, Fort Pierce, Fla., and
John “Jack” Fredricks, program coordinator.
The Northeast region is represented by
Westmoreland County Community College,
Youngwood, Pa., and Mary Zappone, CCE,
AAC, program coordinator. The Central
Region is represented by Johnson County
Community College, Overland Park, Kan.,
and Lindy Robinson, program coordinator.
The Western region is represented by
Keystone Resort, Keystone, Colo., and
Kevin Clarke, CCE, program coordinator.
The pilot sites were chosen to display a
realistic demographic and geographic
picture of apprenticeship as a whole.
Along with the portal, the pilot sites will
also be the first programs to use the newly
updated and approved 2010 logbook. The
biggest change to the new version of the
logbook is the addition of a “Sustainability”
competency section to each station. These
competencies were created using the
ACFEF’s sustainability mission statement:
The ACFEF Apprenticeship Program fosters
awareness of sustainability issues impacting
the culinary industry, including energy, water,
purchasing and waste. These sustainability
initiatives must exist in an environment of
quality and fiscal responsibility.
These competencies will be supported
entirely by the online portal’s document
library. Apprentices and chefs will have
multiple resources related to sustainability
at their fingertips.
Through the USDOL grant, the ACFEF has
pioneered a new type of apprenticeship,
called “Hybrid,” which will be offered for the
first time by the pilot sites. The Hybrid type
of apprenticeship will allow apprentices who
are more advanced to accelerate their pace
of learning, while simultaneously allowing
apprentices in need of more instruction the
opportunity to receive the assistance they
require. The Hybrid type of apprenticeship
will also offer interim credentials. These
credentials will afford apprentices proof of
training in a progressive manner throughout
their apprenticeship, as opposed to
being forced to wait until overall program
completion to prove training in any
individual area. Lastly, the pilot sites will be
responsible for gathering data and statistics
regarding the new initiatives to help the
ACFEF and the USDOL assure that the
new programs are as effective as possible.
These four pilot sites, Indian River
State College, Westmoreland County
Community College, Johnson County
Community College and Keystone
Resort, will serve as our pilot sites for
the remainder of 2010 and 2011. During
this time, the ACFEF will work closely
with them to ensure they are being
properly supported. Without the diligence,
commitment and, most importantly,
expertise of these pilot sites and their
staffs, none of these new initiatives would
be possible. With the help of these four
pilot sites, ACFEF apprenticeship will
be brought to the forefront of innovative
education and training.
