Center for Employment Training in San Jose, California
What You Need to Know
The Center for Employment Training (CET) is one of the only educational facilities in the United States with a special focus on serving immigrant and traditionally under-served populations. It offers training in over 30 different professional fields, including Culinary Arts, which offers students the chance to learn the entry-level skills necessary to work as a cook or baking assistant.
Located in San Jose, where the facility was founded, this location mostly serves the local Hispanic population – particularly those for whom English is not their native language.
Besides (CET), I highly recommend you look at some other top culinary schools in the area including:
San Francisco - California Culinary Academy - Le Cordon Bleu Program
San Francisco - The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of San Francisco
Sacramento - Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Sacramento
Scramento - The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California - Sacramento
Orange County - The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California - Orange County
The Center for Employment Training
701 Vine Street
San Jose, CA 95110
About The Center for Employment Training
CET is a nonprofit organization, making it unlike almost any other training facility in the United States. It was established in 1967 as a way to grant professional opportunities to the local non-native English-speaking population. It has since spread out to encompass 11 states with different educational centers around the country, placing over 110,000 graduates into jobs since it first opened its doors.
The idea behind the Center for Employment Training is that students should learn at their own pace until they acquire all the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. The school is almost always attended on a full-time basis, with students working on their curriculum until they pass a certain competency level. These students remain at the school until they are placed within a job, which CET facilitates by setting up interviews, cultivating relationships with area businesses, and working with industry leaders.
Programs Offered
This San Jose campus offers training in everything from Automotive Services to Medical Assisting. It is the only location in California offering the Culinary Arts specialty. The Culinary Arts course teaches students to work in the food service industry as cooks, sous chefs, baking assistants, and cafeteria workers. The intent is to secure entry-level employment following completion of the course, with the opportunity for professional growth as on-the-job experience develops. The course lasts as long as necessary for students to master the skills and reach a 70 percent competency level, although the average length is about six months.
In addition to the training courses, CET offers free citizenship, English as a Second Language, and Spanish literacy classes. Students can also take advantage of financial planning classes, child care assistance, and other life skills training.
Facility
The instructors at the Center for Employment Training are not the type of instructors found at traditional educational facilities. They carry an average of 12 years of experience each within their respective industries, a condition that makes them ideal for creating marketable graduates. All faculty members work with the students to move them through the different levels of the courses at their own pace while still focusing on group work that simulates the real working world.
Financial Aid
CET is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In addition to its nonprofit status, the school is also accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This aligns them with federal Department of Education standards for financial aid assistance and credit transferring.
Financial aid is available to almost all CET students. Although the school is a nonprofit organization, it is eligible to receive federal funding when students fill out the appropriate FAFSA forms. Most students get some combination of grants, loans, work-study opportunities, and scholarships. Donations from the community and private citizens also help to keep tuition costs low and offer assistance to those who cannot pay their way through school. All students are encouraged to visit the school's financial aid office for more information.
Going to school in San Jose, California
This San Jose location of CET is the where the company was first started over 40 years ago. With a large Hispanic population, it was the ideal place to start a training institution that caters to non-English speakers and those who cannot access the traditional education system. The same is true even today, and the school's convenient location is one of the many reasons it continues to thrive in the bustling California market.
What Do You Need To Know to Get Into Culinary School?
As the Reluctant Gourmet, I have never been to cooking school, but I keep telling myself it's never too late. The best way for you to learn more about becoming a chef is to visit my new Culinary School Resource Center. Here you will find articles, books, school resources and many other useful resources.
Also, try reading as much as you can about going to cooking school and what it is like to be a professional chef. One book I highly recommend to anyone thinking about culinary school is, The Making of A Chef, by Michael Ruhlman. It will really help you understand what you may be getting yourself into. For a complete list of Books For Cooks.
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