ROSEMONT, Ill.– US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) today announced the expansion of its US Foods Scholars program into five new cities: Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Denver; New York City; and Raleigh, North Carolina. The program was created to inspire culinary students to reach their full potential and help address the skilled labor shortage facing the restaurant industry, which is forecasted to have 1.7 million new positions by 20251.
US Foods Scholars awards financial support and professional development opportunities to students who have demonstrated outstanding potential and achievement in the culinary arts and require additional resources to take the next step of their journey. In each new market, US Foods Scholars will award two students annually a two-year scholarship of up to $20,000 each to support costs related to their continued culinary education.
“As a partner to independent restaurants across the country, we know how challenging it is for our customers to find qualified employees,” said Debra Ceffalio, vice president of corporate communications, US Foods. “We’re proud to expand our US Foods Scholars program into Atlanta, Austin, Denver, New York City and Raleigh. These five cities all have growing and thriving culinary scenes, and with this initiative, US Foods aims to support the next generation of culinary talent, and help meet the demands of an ever-expanding industry.”
The company launched US Foods Scholars in Chicago and Arizona in 2017 and is partnering with the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) and the American Culinary Federation (ACF) to expand the program to five new markets in 2018. New partner schools include:
- Atlanta: International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Atlanta
- Austin, Texas: Austin Community College
- Denver: Johnson & Wales University
- New York City: Eligible high schools seniors participating in the C-CAP program
- Raleigh, North Carolina: Wake Technical College
To learn more about the US Foods Scholars program or to apply if eligible, visit usfoods.com/scholars.
About Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP)
Led by chef, author and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson as board co-chair, Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is a national nonprofit that educates and guides underserved high school students toward a bright future. C-CAP prepares students for the workplace through chef mentoring, field trips, work experience and job training, and college and career advising. As part of this well-rounded support, C-CAP also provides high school graduates with scholarships to afford further training. Founded by culinary educator Richard Grausman in 1990, C-CAP impacts over 17,000 students each year. Countless C-CAP alumni work throughout the country and are guiding the future leaders of the culinary and hospitality industry. Visit ccapinc.org to learn more.
About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With more than 15,500 members spanning more than 170 chapters nationwide, ACF is the leading culinary association offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship, programmatic accreditation and a comprehensive certification program. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation awards culinary scholarships and is home to ACF Culinary Team USA and to Chef & Child. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook, Instagramand Twitter.
About US Foods
US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 250,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With 25,000 employees and more than 60 locations, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Ill. and generates approximately $24 billion in annual revenue. Visit usfoods.com to learn more.
1Bureau of Labor Statistics
Source: US Foods
