Enrollment is open now for a Commercial Food Equipment Service Technician (CFEST) training program. The four-week program will begin July 20 and will cover the essentials of servicing food service equipment said CFEST Program Director Lorri Romero. The program is flexible enough to allow for assistance in remedial education, providing a six-week course.

Romero said this is a great opportunity for dislocated or underemployed workers to increase their skills so they can be qualified for the higher-level positions they are seeking.

“The CFEST program is a blended learning program so it utilizes computerized training components, simulation components, hands-on training … ,” Romero said. “In a short period of time, it’s a way to get useable, transferrable skills to get a job immediately in the workplace.”

But the training doesn’t end there, she said.

“The CFEST program is designed to have multiple pathways in it. One pathway is through stackable credentials,” Romero said.

The course will primarily cover hot-side basics. However, additional training will be available after the four-week class. The goal is for participants to have a stack of certificates and skills that employers seek, such as refrigeration and electrical training.

On-the-job training also is a possibility, as the Professional Development Institute is working in coordination with the Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board.

Romero said they are partnering with employers on the back end of training, allowing for on-the-job training program. Because PDI has an employer advisory board, they can provide people with a direct pathway to employment.

They also provide services that help participants prepare a résumé and engage in mock interviews, Romero said.

For students lacking a high school diploma, the optional two-week pre-course gives participants the option to earn their GED before training. Romero said the PDI feels it is incumbent upon the institution to provide a GED course so participants are fully equipped for employment.

“They go through [the pre-course] class, get their GED and go through the training program, with the idea that, you’re giving someone a firmer foothold in the job market,” Romero said.

The course will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at OCCC’s Professional Development Institute at 7124 S. I-35 Service Road. The program is free for those who are eligible.

For more information, contact Joel Penuel at 405-686-6220 or visit occc.edu/news/2015/cfest-pdi.html.

To complete an online application, visit occc.edu/pdi/cfest.html.