News

Southeast Community College worked with Ybor and Fleetwood to launch a line cook apprenticeship dedicated to workforce development for people returning to society after incarceration. This apprenticeship creates a structured, supported pathway from culinary training to paid, professional kitchen employment and is already changing lives.

“There’s so much value to this program,” said Bill Radtke, CEO of Ybor. “For us as an organization, we’re bringing people in and training them at SCC and in the kitchen. It’s such a great next step to be able to hand them off to a restaurant and say, ‘Hey, can you continue the development of this person?’ This has been an amazing process.”

Ybor has been a partner with the SCC prison education program to provide workforce development and coaching to empower those returning to society after incarceration. This apprenticeship program was the logical next step to help with the transition process. The program is designed to not only teach culinary skills through the SCC Culinary/Hospitality program, but it rebuilds confidence and opens doors by providing on-the-job training in the Fleetwood kitchen. The food service industry’s demand for skilled line cooks makes this an ideal sector for workforce reentry.

Becky Olson understands the importance of this apprenticeship firsthand. Nine years ago she found herself at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women trying to figure out what her next journey could be. She worked hard to be a model inmate the whole time she was there. She was a member of the inmate council and took as many classes as she could with the reentry team. Olson loved to cook and took the food handlers class as part of her reentry classes.

“You don’t really know where the next steps are going to go,” Olson said. “I figured with a food handlers permit I could get a job at McDonald’s. When I got to SCC, I was really able to learn hands-on in the kitchen. I really love cooking.”

Olson also helped with Ybor pop-up kitchens to serve Cuban sandwiches for social good. She would take as many shifts as she could in order to hone her skills and provide joy to those around her. Because of her work ethic and love of food, Radtke knew she would be perfect for this program.

“Becky has been the pioneer of the program,” Radtke said. “She’s been the one out front, leading the way. Her success is first and foremost driven by her hard work and determination. I’ve seen it from her at the very first pop-up she helped with. She’s got something special.”

Because of this apprenticeship, Olson was able to get back in the kitchen and become a part of the Fleetwood team. She has been working closely with a sous chef who is mentoring her on the fundamentals of professional cooking. Being a part of the team is helping make her reentry process less daunting.

“I cannot say enough how much I appreciate everyone for giving me this opportunity,” Olson explained.  “Being a part of this program opened up a whole other world for me. It gave me the foundation to help me meet new people and start my career.”

This is one of many apprenticeship opportunities available through SCC. With 80+ career training programs, the College works with businesses to customize an apprenticeship to fit their employment needs. Apprenticeships allow employees to earn industry-recognized credentials while getting paid to gain hands-on experience. For more information about apprenticeship opportunities, contact Twilya L’Ecuyer at 402-437-2357.

Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu