LA Plaza Cocina’s Culinary Youth Training Program provides young people from under-resourced communities with job ready skills to enter the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Applications are now open. Please see below for more information.
LA Plaza Cocina Culinary Youth Training Program provides young people from under-resourced communities with job-ready skills to enter the restaurant and hospitality industry. The ten-week bilingual course for high school and young adults (16-24) offers hands-on cooking classes that introduce students to the basics of kitchen safety and recipe execution. Students complete the course with a current resume and an opportunity to take the California ServSafe exam to better prepare for the workforce.
During the initial 12-month period beginning June 2023, a bilingual ServSafe training provider, certified through the National Restaurant Association and ANSI (American National Standard Institute) Culinary Chef will teach ten cohorts of 10-15 students. The Program will consist of ten in-person sessions held at LA Plaza Cocina. All ten sessions will include a hands-on cooking lab.
LA Plaza Cocina Culinary Youth Training Program is free of charge and includes a transportation stipend (Metro TAP Card), ServSafe test fees, and printed course materials. Students can also participate in Culinary Events with restauranteurs, chefs, culinary schools and access to professional development resources.
This program is made possible in partnership with the PepsiCo Foundation.
The first five sessions will include asynchronous interactive online courses focused on preparation for the ServSafe exam. The online lesson plan and exam are in English and Spanish.
The final five sessions will focus on professional and career development, making cultural connections with guest speakers, along with a two-day resume-building course and recipe-execution session.
Classes will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Applications are open year-round, but with deadlines for submissions. Please see below for the application deadline. All applications must be submitted before 5pm PST.
Our Application Period has now finished. Please be on the lookout for our next application period.
Once you have submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation assuring that we have received your application. If accepted into the program, you will also be receiving an acceptance letter into LA Plaza Cocina’s Culinary Youth Training Program.
If you have any further questions regarding the LA Plaza Cocina Culinary Youth Training Program, please contact us by email at cocina@lapca.org or by calling us at (323) 397-8365.