男人藏精阁is observing National Apprenticeship Day on April 30 by highlighting culinary arts graduate, Graham Edwards, 20, who celebrated the end of a year-long chef apprenticeship at the Biltmore Estate in March. During his time on the estate, Edwards worked as a line chef in four different restaurants and completed 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.
National Apprenticeship Day is a nationwide celebration that brings together business leaders, apprentices, labor, education institutions, and other critical partners to promote the value of Registered Apprenticeships.
For more than 50 years, 男人藏精阁has trained students with practical, in-demand skills that will transfer from the classroom to the workplace. 男人藏精阁works with ApprenticeshipNC to track approximately 150 apprentices within numerous occupations such as healthcare, HVAC, business, and culinary.
In March, Edwards was awarded a certificate from the State Department of Labor. Apprenticeship NC also awarded him a medallion and honor cords to wear on his cap when he graduates with his associate鈥檚 degree in Culinary Arts this May.
男人藏精阁and Biltmore Estate first partnered to offer a culinary apprenticeship beginning in April 2023, and Edwards was the first student to graduate from the program, which included 324 hours of related classroom instruction on the college campus.
Edwards said his apprenticeship helped provide the hands-on experience he needed to be a well-rounded and successful chef. His position on the estate included both casual and fine-dining working environments where he served everyone from wedding guests to tourists visiting the estate.
At Biltmore, Edwards had the opportunity to develop several of his own menu specials, including a dish with blackened halibut in a Cajun-style white wine sauce with shallots, garlic, and spices. He credits his time there with helping him determine that he鈥檇 like to pursue a career in a fine-dining restaurant.
Support for apprenticeships is strong nationwide, and the NC General Assembly has awarded millions in grant funding over the last two years to ApprenticeshipNC for assisting employers in creating new career options for both youth and adults through a registered apprenticeship program.
Through partnering with A-B Tech, 鈥淓mployers can establish a pool to bring on new workers, advance workers, and reduce operational costs. This is truly a win-win proposition,鈥 said Debra Cromwell, Director of Work-Based Learning.
Watch a video interview with Graham Edwards
Find out more at Work-Based Learning or call (828) 398-7603.