A Capital Region career training center is receiving a state grant.
Schenectady’s Social Enterprise and Training Center — or SEAT — and its culinary lab in Albany are getting $100,000 in state funding from Democratic Assemblywoman Pat Fahy. Speaking at the announcement at the lab Wednesday, SEAT founder and CEO Jennifer Lawrence says the funding supports the city’s restaurant industry.
“We believe that young people, 18 to 24 in ZIP Codes that are often underrepresented in all of the economic development in our region, that those young people want to work, are ready to be part of our economic vibrancy in our community, and that they have a lot to offer,” Lawrence said.
At the moment, prospective students are in the middle of a program to strengthen their mental health before officially beginning the six-month course.
State Assemblywoman Pat Fahy is a Democrat from the 109th District who is running to succeed retiring state Senator Neil Breslin of the 46th District. She says the money is meant for operating costs and agrees with Lawrence, adding the restaurants will now support the students as well.
“Many of them are working on their GED [General Equivalency Diploma], they've seen failure. They've seen roadblocks in their life. These are kids. The first thing they teach them are some important life skills of staying with it and having that resiliency to bounce back from whatever adversity they may have encountered and give it another go. And they know, they know, if they stick this out, they've got a job,” Fahy said.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, a fellow Democrat, says whether students end up working in the restaurant industry or not, the skills they learn in the SEAT program are lifelong.
“What you're learning to do in this kitchen is going to set you set yourself up for being able to imagine yourself conquering other challenges that you never thought that you could conquer,” Sheehan said.
Georgette Steffens is Executive Director of the Downtown Albany BID. She says the growth of downtown businesses has been hindered by an employee shortage.
“Many of our restaurants have to close- they can't be open certain days of the week because they don't have enough employees. I was when before coming I was looking at some statistics, and it said that 45 percent of all operators for restaurants say they don't have enough staff to meet the customer demand,” Steffens said.
David Quillinan, or Chef Dave, is executive chef and instructor at the lab. He says all he wants is to see his students succeed.
“I give. That’s it. I don't take, and I try to give these students everything I have learned in 34 years in the restaurant business, and hope they absorb it,” Quillinan said.
Quillinan says after completing Mental Toughness, the introductory unit, it’s right in to career training.
“Day one, we hit the ServSafe certifications; ServSafe food handlers, ServSafe allergens. And then they get Restaurant Ready Certifications, so they get a lot of resume-building certifications.”
Quillinan says the certifications are more than just resume builders.
“When I'm an employer, or I'm an executive chef, hiring a sous chef or another chef or a dishwasher, even, I want to see those certifications that we are offering these students,” Quillinan said.
Quillinan adds even though there are restaurants in the area, downtown is considered a food desert, something the students could help address.
“I tried to get half and half the other day. I had to walk four city blocks, just to get a quart of half and half so I could have coffee. So to even get food around here is difficult,” Quillinan said.
Aliyah Gray, who’s 21, is a culinary program student. She says she found out about it from her friend, and says it’s helped her focus on the future.
“I’ve actually learned to be more engaged with what I want in my life, and don't hold myself back, because I can only make my future with the way I want it. Nobody else can do that,” Gray said.
She says the program is teaching her life skills in a way that feels non-judgmental, in contrast to her experience in school.
“You just feel like the teachers there don't even care about you, there's a million students that they have to care about. Sometimes you're just one of the students that's just left behind,” Gray said.
Gray says her experience led her to drop out at 16, adding the COVID pandemic and its isolation didn’t help. She adds the culinary program is helping her break out of that shell, with everyone supporting each other.
“Just learning how can how similar everyone's story can be to mine, and that everyone goes through their own thing. So it's not all always going to be black and white. There is color in the world, and this program really opens it up to see how everyone actually is,” Gray said.
SEAT also runs a construction program, which is building a new home on a vacant lot at 360 Sheridan Ave in Albany. Amir Branchel, one of the participants, says it’s been a positive experience that’s helped him grow as a person.
“We get up to show up, and everyone's here bright and early. This is a very humbling experience for me. I get to relearn some things,” Branchel said.
Branchel says the program is teaching him skills he’ll be able to put to use right away.
“I would like to learn how to build structures, to build stability and further myself, just keep on going,” Branchel said.
