Culinary Boot Camp at LTCC to help with job skills

South Lake Tahoe’s regional adult education network, ADVANCE, will debut a Culinary Boot Camp to help this fall, rolling out its first-ever workplace skills program to align with the beginning of the winter hiring season.

Developed with the guidance and input of local culinary industry leaders and employers, this 40-hour program will offer participants an intensive, hands-on experience learning the basic skills, terminology, and practices of a professional kitchen. Topics covered will include kitchen sanitation and safety, knife skills, butchery, baking, cost controls, and more. Students will prepare a series of meals in Lake Tahoe Community College’s full-sized commercial kitchen, studying each step from planning and preparation to completion and cleaning.

ADVANCE will structure the Culinary Boot Camp along two time schedules. A one-week program will offer participants an immersive experience working eight hours per day, while a five-week course with a pair of four-hour meetings each week will target learners who require more flexible scheduling.

This workshop is intended both to familiarize prospective chefs with basic culinary skills and to provide a refresher course to current employees or those seeking promotion. It is the intent of ADVANCE and its industry partners to raise the level of skill within the talent pool in South Lake Tahoe in order to offer more qualified employees and a higher level of industry service, thereby securing broader prosperity for workers and an enhanced reputation as a visitor destination.

ADVANCE will sponsor participation for those who are committed to beginning, or furthering, a career in the culinary arts. This support is made possible through the adult education block grant and partnerships within the local community.
For more information on the Culinary Boot Camp, please contact Josh Sweigert at (530) 541-4660, Ext. 672, or at sweigert@ltcc.edu