From the dining facilities to the late-night diners, culinary artists, cooks, chefs, and casual connoisseurs alike rejoice. Fayetteville Technical Community College is developing a program for veterans ending their military service and those interested in starting their own food based business. FTCC and Fort Liberty Army personnel have come together to create the “Chefs to Soldier; Soldier to Chefs” program.
Charles Bullard, program and culinary instructor, said, “Sgt. First Class Brown and my department head Sabrina Santucci were the first ones to make contact. They came out to help showcase the culinary students' skills and in turn, the students get an opportunity to show their talents. It’s a growing partnership we’ve been working on to pool more resources and time into young students, or older students, that might want to consider a military career and those who get out of the armed forces.”
When leaving the military, many individuals regularly face challenges reintegrating into the civilian lifestyle. Whether that be in redeveloping social connections or choosing their next vocation, veterans face the unique challenge of having to recreate a semblance of normalcy in their everyday lives. Programs like the “Chefs to Soldiers; Soldier to Chefs” create more opportunities and pathways for veterans new and old to re-enter the workforce with a renewed vigor and skillset.
Aimed at facilitating the pathway between joining and leaving the military, this new program will act as a jumping-off point for people who are looking to develop a new skillset to make a career in the culinary arts. On the military side of the coin, Sgt. First Class Brown, from the Providers’ Café at Fort Liberty, has come together with the administration and instructors at FTCC to facilitate the transition people make when leaving the military. The new programs allow veterans, especially individuals within the 92G MOS (Cook and Culinary Specialists), to have a pathway to obtaining higher education and career certification within the food industry.
“Through chance, communication, and similar interests, we’re trying to make sure that both sides of the path have ample opportunities to access the other side and know what options are available to them,” Bullard expressed.
The program also allows civilians interested in serving their country through military service the opportunity to develop skills and training for a new vocation within the armed forces. The curriculum allows those talented in the kitchen to get a foundational knowledge of standard practices in the industry, kitchen and food safety certifications, and what to expect should they choose to enlist in the armed forces or in the civilian sector if they’re currently transitioning. Depending on their certifications and experience, credits for early developmental courses could be counted as part of the education requirements as well.
Bullard invites those interested in the culinary arts as a career on the civilian side or the military to come out and talk to an advisor or instructor to get involved with the course and program. For more information about the program, you can visit www.faytechcc.edu or call 910-500-0089. For active duty military and veterans looking for guidance in their transitional period, please visit FTCC’s website page at https://www.faytechcc.edu/military-veterans/veterans-services/ready-to-transition/ . Alternatively, transitioning service members can also call 910-486-3626 or email Pendy Eldridge at transtech@faytechcc.edu.