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Rachel Bradley
By Becky Marmorato
The American Culinary Education Foundation (ACFEF) Apprenticeship
Program, through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, recently
developed an online portal that allows apprentices, supervising chefs and
program coordinators to track training, review resources, validate training and
update logbooks, a process that is being piloted in four programs nationwide.
Additionally, sustainability competencies were incorporated to enhance
awareness of these initiatives in the culinary industry. Here, Pennsylvania
apprentice Rachel Bradley shares her perspective on the perks of the new
technology and added initiatives.
tell us about your apprenticeship
and where you work.
rb: I am an apprentice through ACF
Laurel Highlands Chapter at
Westmoreland County Community
College (WCCC), Youngwood, Pa.,
and work as a line cook at DeNunzio’s
Italian Restaurants in Jeannette, Pa.
I began my apprenticeship in fall 2010,
and plan to graduate in spring 2012.
Patrick Conway, executive chef at
DeNunzio’s. They are very helpful.
You really get the feeling that Chef
Komarinski and Chef Zappone want
to see each and every one of their
students succeed.
have you always been interested
in the culinary field?
rb: Since I was little, I have enjoyed
cooking with family and friends. I
began to consider it as a career
option after spending more time
in the kitchen with my father and
staying at my grandmother’s home
for weeks at a time.
which of the station rotations do you
find most interesting so far?
rb: The sauté station seems
to be my favorite, and the
most challenging. You need to
be experienced and great at
multitasking, especially during the
challenging dinner rushes. I also
enjoy the expediter and grill station.
who are your mentors?
rb: I have the opportunity to work
under WCCC professors Cindy
Komarinski, CCC, CCE, and
Mary Zappone, CEC, AAC, and
what do you like about the new
online apprenticeship portal?
rb: I like being able to have my
apprenticeship records, logbook
and ledger all available in the same
location. Although I am new to the
portal, it seems like the easiest
way to develop an apprenticeship
résumé and records for future use.
4/28/11 11:19:35 AM
