9 August 2024
Nik Rajkovic / [email protected]
Three employees of the Fowlerville nonprofit organization Torch 180 will be honored Friday morning for becoming the first people in Michigan to complete a two-year training program to become professional chefs.
“Blake Clay, Shuan Gillespie and Vikrim Durci will receive their certificates and even a special recognition from Representative Elissa Slotkin’s office,” says Rhonda Callahan, co-founder of Torch 180.
Callahan says the ultimate goal is to help people with disabilities become independent adults.
“They are here. They are being trained. They are in a real situation. There are real customers, customers who sometimes complain,” she says.
“We can put them in all the different areas of the kitchen to find out what might help them become a better employee. What might be a good fit. What might not be a good fit. We give them time. Time to develop their skills.”
Two of the trainees have already secured a job outside of Torch 180, while the other has already sent out his resume.
“They learned how to prepare food. They learned how to clean and disinfect. They practiced some management skills. They also learned how to manage their disabilities and how to work successfully,” Callahan added.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Michigan Career & Technical Institute will attend the graduation ceremony on Friday.
