Workforce model
12 weeks.
Paid. Practical.
- Cohort length
- 12 weeks
- Planned participant stipend
- $150/week
- Participant goal
- 80 / year
Program design, not a funding claim. At $150/week over 12 weeks, the planned stipend is $1,800 per participant. Stipends are part of the program design and depend on securing funding. The 80-participant figure is a target we haven’t yet reached.
The four pillars
Learn · Earn · Gain · Connect
Learn
Food safety, kitchen fundamentals and customer service — the skills every food job asks for.
Earn
Paid while training. The program is designed around a weekly participant stipend.
Gain
Real reps on the truck and at catering events — practical experience, not just a classroom.
Connect
Pathways to employment through employer partners and the Soft Landing network.
A cohort, week by week
The 12-week arc
Weeks 1–3
Foundations
Food safety basics, kitchen hygiene, workplace expectations and customer service fundamentals.
Weeks 4–8
On the line
Hands-on shifts: prep, cooking, the service window, cash handling practice and teamwork under pressure.
Weeks 9–11
Events & catering
Practical experience at catering events — setup, volume service, breakdown and professionalism.
Week 12
Connect
Résumé support, interview prep and introductions to employer partners for next-step jobs.
Program design note:The week-by-week outline is a working curriculum design and may change as the program is finalized with partners.
Pull up a chair at the table
Feed a crowd.
Fuel a future.
Book us for an upcoming event, back a cohort, or learn how the model works. Every conversation helps us get this truck on the road.