Students in Barrie take part in a free assistant cook pre-apprentice program

The assistant cook pre-apprentice program at Georgian College is a free program partially funded by both levels of government to help train and connect students with a job upon completion.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox

Each year 15 students take part in the assistant cook pre-apprentice program, which FOCUS Employment Services provide in partnership with Georgian College.

"Every day, it's a new technique. We're learning proper cutting by techniques, proper ways of producing great meals for people, and it's been a blast," said student Jeff Somerville.

For 18 years, FOCUS Employment Services has offered the annual training.

"The ministry funds these students to come in and get all the bells and whistles that they need to get into the culinary industry ahead of going into the job, so they are more enticing to an employer because they know what they're doing.

We do the food safety training, we have free uniforms, knife kits, non-slip shoes, and then it is my job to get them a job," said Angela Adams, program coordinator with FOCUS Employment Services.

One of the employers, FOCUS, works in collaboration with its State & Main restaurant in Barrie.

"One of the things about being in the restaurant industry is the difference between teaching somebody how to cook and teaching them the recipes that we have here at the restaurant, and with the FOCUS program, they come in already knowing how to cook. So, it just elevates that one step of having to teach them how to cook and teaching them what we do here," said David Ritch with State & Main.

This year's program began on May 29 and will run until the beginning of September.

Over the past 18 years, 260 students have gone through the program.