Salvation Army of Sacramento to announce new culinary arts and construction apprenticeship
On October 28, The Salvation Army of Sacramento County officially announced the development of two programs for current or past program participants seeking new employment skills: culinary arts and skilled trade apprenticeship.
The Salvation Army has also partnered with local organizations to create the programs. The culinary arts class will be taught by instructors from Fresher Sacramento, a non-profit providing at-risk adults with industry standard culinary training and certification.
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Northern California Chapter will handle the construction apprenticeship, teaching individuals trade skills like electrical, painting and plumbing.
“We’re so excited to make this announcement because we feel this is the natural next step in our social services programs,” said Major Ivan Wild, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army Del Oro Division. “I believe many of our clients are looking for a way to become self-sufficient, so this may be their outlet to finding that.”
The Salvation Army also decided to implement these workforce preparation programs because both of the fields have been in high demand for employees.
“Not only are these tangible skills that we could give to our clients, but it’s also a great opportunity for them to possibly land a job in the near future,” Major Wild said.
The participants of the new programs will be individuals who are currently or has been recently involved in a local Salvation Army program. These could be graduates of the Adult Rehabilitation Center, participants of the E. Claire Raley Transitional Living Center, graduates of the Adult Education GED program or a client who has been served through The Salvation Army-Sacramento County’s Family Services.
The culinary arts program will be held twice a year, with each session consisting of a 16-week course. The curriculum will mimic the highly successful Salvation Army-Lodi culinary arts class, a program that has had more than 100 graduates and 95% success rate (graduates who found employment) in its first nine years.
The construction apprenticeship program will take qualified individuals to the Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California Chapter’s Livermore site for a one-week training. There will be four sessions during the calendar year. Those who have successfully completed the one-week course would then be taken to a paid on-the-job training site.