Partnerships, Enhanced Curriculum, Events, and New Opportunities

We are extremely proud of the 137 students who graduated from our program at three different locations in 2022. We made the decision to extend our holistic culinary arts job training program to fourteen weeks to provide more time for hands-on work in the kitchen and soft-skills development. NECAT has cultivated new partnerships that add value to our program and connect us with the community on a deeper level. The combination of our enhanced training and the relationships we’ve built are helping to propel our graduates to success.

NECAT Boston: Seven cohorts graduated in 2022. After a long hiatus due to COVID, we were able to welcome back family and friends to watch their loved ones receive their certificates. Capstone events were reintroduced allowing our students to showcase their signature dishes at a tapas-style luncheon. NECAT also launched a visiting chef series for our students to learn from culinary experts. We were grateful to host Chef Jody Adams, a famous American chef and restaurateur and James Beard award-winning chef, along with Suzanne Husseini, a cookbook author and host of a popular Arabic cooking show.

NECAT East Boston: NECAT helped eliminate language as a barrier to employment by offering our training program in Spanish at the East Boston YMCA. The program was taught by a bilingual chef who is a NECAT graduate, and students received on-site support and career counseling from NECAT staff. Two cohorts graduated and seventeen students launched their culinary careers. Based on the success of the pilot program, NECAT and the YMCA will expand this partnership in 2023.

NECAT Behind the Walls – Suffolk County House of Correction (SCHC) and Re-Entry: NECAT’s Behind the Walls training program at SCHC graduated three cohorts, a total of twenty-four students, and helped ease the transition for returning citizens through career counseling and job placement. NECAT’s chef instructors provided our full culinary program, including a capstone project and graduation, to students at SCHC. Once released from incarceration, graduates receive a stipend and meet with our staff to ensure the support they need to start and to sustain their culinary career.

NECAT SEL & Wellness: We redefined the way we look at wellness by expanding our social-emotional learning curriculum. Lessons incorporate language that is sensitive to the impact of individual and systemic trauma. Our new program includes mindfulness techniques for stress management and anxiety reduction, including daily breathing and meditation exercises. We received funding from the Wayfarer Foundation to build on this wellness programming with activities like journaling, trauma-informed yoga, and functional strength training.

NECAT Career Readiness: With the support of two primary funders, we were able to launch our Career and Engagement Center for students and alumni. Two newly hired staff members now work directly with students on résumé writing, mock interviewing, computer skills, finance workshops, networking, and ultimately, securing a rewarding job and staying employed. We have also made great strides in improving our Employer Partner program by working with a wider variety of employers (healthcare, education, hospitality, and senior living) that accept CORIs, pay higher salaries, offer bench tests and paid stages with opportunities to receive benefits and, in some cases, to join a union. A game changer for many!

NECAT Beyond the Classroom: As the constraints of the pandemic lifted, we opened our doors to NECAT supporters. We held the first class in our Fresh Cooking Series—Mediterranean Mezze—which sold out. NECAT hosted corporate events for our valued partners, The Boston Foundation/Skillworks and RIZE, and reinstated our annual gala with the introduction of the Bounty & Bliss Gala. A soireé of 130 supporters enjoyed coastal New England cuisine prepared by guest chefs Jeremy Sewall (Row34) and David Punch (Sycamore). Proceeds from the event are helping us to purchase a van to expand our catering and special events business. NECAT continues to provide weekly catering services to More Than Words and Roxbury Municipal Court. NECAT is now open for rental, private parties, and special events.

NECAT Partnerships: Justice 4 Housing is now sharing space with our Career and Engagement Center. Justice 4 Housing is a nonprofit focused on eliminating discriminatory practices in the local housing market for adults with criminal records and/or no track record in sustaining long-term housing. Our shared space makes it easy for NECAT students who are returning citizens to meet with Justice 4 Housing staff to apply for permanent housing.

NECAT’s emerging partnership with Tech Goes Home has been extremely beneficial for our cohorts. Students receive computer skills training, a free laptop, mouse, headset, and internet services for one year. This partnership helps our students to bridge the digital divide to gain access to technology that is essential for a successful career path.

NECAT’s partnership with Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation connected us with the Boston Public Library in Roxbury. The library agreed to hire students/grads to provide workshops and cooking demonstrations on low-cost, nutritional meals. This program connects us to the community while providing a platform for students to showcase their skills and receive compensation.

Employer Testimonial

“We are now working with NECAT to provide week-long paid stages for students to gain valuable work experience in our kitchens while they complete their NECAT training. Our chefs work alongside the students for a week as mentors. The goal is to develop talent, provide real commercial kitchen experience, and share feedback with NECAT to help enhance the curriculum. We’re thrilled that our first two student participants were offered jobs and have joined the Highgate team.”

–Tim Kirkpatrick, Regional Human Resources Director, Boston Park Plaza & Highgate