The Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board's (MAWIB) Culinary Arts Program for Youth will be a topic of discussion at the 2011 National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) Annual Conference, May 16-19, in Virginia Beach, Va.
Brian Foley, the program's coordinator, will lead the discussion along with Cheri Gravitter from Wisconsin State Fair. The workshop, titled "The Meaning of Successful Collaboration – Culinary Arts Program for Youth," will take place Wednesday, May 19 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
"I am honored that our program was selected to be a workshop at this year's conference, and happy to share our story as we present information that can be helpful for other organizations to implement similar effective collaborations and youth programs that lead to promising careers," said Foley.
The Culinary Arts Program was established in 2001 as a collaborative effort between MAWIB, Wisconsin State Fair Park and the Milwaukee Area Technical College. The program's young participants train and work at the Wisconsin State Fair where they plan, prepare and serve over 21,000 meals to visitors each summer.
In the six-week program youth develop their culinary skills, gain hands-on experience in the food-service industry, and receive a SERV SAFE nationally-recognized certificate from the American Restaurant Association.
"Each year we look forward to participating in the transformations of the youth as they gain the skills and confidence necessary to become productive citizens. I'm very excited to be given the opportunity to share the successes of this model with other professionals as a co-presenter at the NAWDP conference," said Gravitter.
