The goal of this 8-week course is to help individuals suffering financial hardship gain the skills and experience necessary to seek employment in the food service industry. We consider financial hardship as those whose combined household income is unable to sustain themselves and their family, and are unable to obtain a job at a living wage with the skills and experience they currently possess. We instruct our trainees in a broad range of efficient kitchen practices and fundamentals including: identification of food and ingredients; use of kitchen implements and equipment; measurements; nutrition; knife skills; preparation techniques; safe food handling (as part of the National Restaurant Association's ServSafe Program); cleaning and sanitation