Application Now Open for Spring 2025 California Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship

SACRAMENTO, Calif., November 20, 2024 (Newswire.com) - California residents interested in building a career in school food service can now apply to join the California Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship program. Administered by the Chef Ann Foundation – a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting scratch cooking in schools – the initiative offers paid, on-the-job learning focused on preparing healthy school meals from scratch.

The seven-week program is tailored for individuals with little to no experience in school food operations and is available to English and Spanish speakers. Pre-Apprentices gain hands-on culinary and operational experience at a local school district, complete online coursework, and engage in virtual learning sessions with peers and mentors. Since launching in 2022, over 200 California residents have graduated from the program.

“School food careers require skill, creativity, and dedication,” said Emily Gallivan, Senior Director of California Workforce Programs at Chef Ann Foundation. “School food professionals hold the unique responsibility of not only preparing and cooking meals but also the opportunity to shape students’ eating habits and introduce them to healthy and diverse foods at a young age.”

Since the start of the pandemic, schools nationwide have reported significant staffing shortages. The demand became even stronger under California’s universal school meal program, underscoring the current need for a skilled school food workforce. A study released this year by Food Insight Group, the California School Nutrition Association and the Chef Ann Foundation found that the annual turnover rate for California school food departments is 13%, exceeding turnover rates from comparable state and national industries. The Healthy School Food Pathway program was designed to address critical staffing needs and upskill new and existing school food professionals. 

More than 70 school districts across the state will participate in the Pre-Apprenticeship program this spring, and those that have already joined are seeing a positive impact in their districts. 

“The biggest win was that everyone was engaged, and I truly believe that a small fire was kindled, even in the most hesitant of our employees,” said Judi Reynolds, Child Nutrition Services Director at Fallbrook Union High School District, which is a Pre-Apprenticeship host district. 

Individuals interested in exploring a career in school food and making a difference in their local communities are encouraged to apply to the program. After completing the Pre-Apprenticeship, graduates can continue onto the nine-month Apprenticeship program at their district. 

The program runs from March 31 to May 23, 2025. Apply here by January 31, 2025.

Source: Chef Ann Foundation