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FPDI has something special cooking

A new program being offered by First Peoples Development Inc. (FPDI) is cooking up something special.

FPDI has partnered with the Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC) to deliver the Line Cook Program. The immersive five-week training session provides two weeks of in-class instruction as well as three weeks of hands-on training in the kitchen that covers a variety of subjects including the fundamentals of food preparation, cooking techniques and plating.

Participants also receive certification in several customer service and safety initiatives such as CPR training, budgeting and how to deal with difficult situations. Tuition as well as items such as a jacket, hat, paring knife and all necessary food supplies are provided at no cost to eligible participants.

The first cohort of five students graduated from the program in June. A second intake of students commenced studying in September.

Aleyna Harper, 23, and Jordan Whiteway, 19, were among the first students to graduate from the program, which is open to anyone from any of the 28 Manitoba First Nations communities that are partnered with the non-profit FPDI.

Both state they learnt a great deal and developed as individuals as a result of participating in the program.

“I really enjoyed working in the kitchen, just learning about new foods and new ways to cook things. It was so amazing,” says Harper, who was raised in Winnipeg and is part of Island Lake First Nation. “I was also happy that we got to learn a whole bunch of things like budgeting. It wasn’t just cooking.”

Whiteway, who lives in Winnipeg and is a member of Berens River First Nation, says the part of the program he enjoyed the most was its hands-on approach to learning.

“I enjoyed that a lot because I’m a hands-on person when it comes to learning stuff and I like to be able to do things myself,” he says.

He also appreciated the fact that the small class size meant he and his fellow students got plenty of one-on-one attention from their instructors.

“Because we were a smaller group … if you were struggling on something, they were able to help you because they (didn’t) have to worry about a lot of other people,” he says.

Harper and Whiteway both had a deep and abiding interest in food even before they enrolled in the FPDI line cook course.

Harper was only eight or nine years old when she started “messing around” with different foods and recipes and quickly realized she had a future in food preparation. Whiteway became interested in cooking as a kid thanks in large part to the inspiration of his dad who studied culinary arts. He learned aboutFPDI’s line cook program shortly after graduating from Maples Collegiate and leapt at the opportunity it presented.

Shortly after completing the Line Cook Program, Harper and Whiteway were given an opportunity for a six month work-experience to gain skills for full-time employment as line cooks at the new FPDI Cafe located in the Free Press building on Mountain Avenue.

FPDI program coordinator Darcy Paul says the pair showed plenty of promise while enrolled in the program and have been a great addition to the FPDI Cafe since it opened in July of this year.

“Aleyna and Jordan were very eager to learn. They were energetic and really wanted to learn new skills and be able to practice those in the workplace,” she explains.

Harper and Whiteway were thrilled when they learnt they had been hired to work at the FPDI Café and say they have been enjoying every minute of the experience so far.

“It’s been amazing,” Whiteway says. “I didn’t expect myself to enjoy this so much. I thought I was going to be a lot more nervous about handling different situations, but it’s been a lot of fun.” “I enjoy it very much,” Harper adds. “There’s some awesome people here that come to the cafeteria. There’s a few regulars we have and I like to get to know them. To be honest, they make my day.”

While Harper and Whiteway both have some long-term career aspirations, the duo says they are too focused on the here and now and improving their skills to think about much else.

Discover a tasty variety of menu items at the FPDI Café—perfect for curbing any craving! Be sure to check out their daily lunch and soup specials. Visit them at 1355 Mountain Avenue, inside the Winnipeg Free Press building. Enter through the west-side patio doors.