Teach a man to cook

A Windsor man is trying to combat unemployment in the best way he knows how: cooking.

Roger Fordham, 60, has been working in the culinary industry since the age of 10. From family restaurants to his own cooking ventures, Fordham says he has always been in the kitchen. This is one of the reasons he started Feeding Windsor in 2014. Currently, Feeding Windsor runs multiple free meals in the county every day. These meals include lunch programs, a pet food bank and a food club that offers $50 of groceries for a $25 membership fee.

Fordham is now looking to take things one step further by offering a free culinary training program. This program would allow him to provide an opportunity for Windsor residents to learn basic commercial kitchen skills.

“We give them the opportunity to get some basic skills, and in a high demand industry in Windsor. The hospitality industry is always looking for people,” said Fordham.

He said experience in this program offers could be a potential solution for chronic unemployment. The four-month program would consist of two months of training and two months of work placement in the city. 

“It gives them a person they can use as a reference. Where I can say to an employer, ‘well you’re really great, work well with others.’ You know they showed up every day for the last four months,” said Fordham.

This program has also garnered the interest of local restaurant owners. John Alvarez, owner of The Grand Cantina and F&B Windsor, said the program makes it easier for him to consider potential applicants who may not have otherwise had the kitchen experience. He also added experience is not always the most important factor in the hiring process.

“Hiring someone with experience is always a plus, but not always necessary,” said Alvarez, “I like to give opportunity to the right candidates and am willing to teach and allow them to grow.”

While information on this upcoming program is still new, a large interest in the community is already forming. Loraine Green, 38, is a former landscape designer who has been unemployed for three years following a bike accident which damaged her knee.

“I cook at home all the time while my husband is out. So, the idea that I could take those skills and further them in a work environment? Perfect. I was never built to be a housewife. I’m a worker,” said Green.

Green said this program could help to tackle problems larger than just chronic unemployment.

“Hopefully Feeding Windsor sees a massive demand and increases the class sizes because I bet this could help so many people. Providing daily work experience could maybe even help the city’s homeless population find work and help themselves,” said Green.

Fordham’s program is set to begin in March. Registration is open and further information on the program is available at feedingwindsor.ca