Performing Department
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Non Technical Summary
Orange County FoodTEC FSP: Program AbstractProject Title: FoodTEC Food Safety Program: Education, Workforce Development and TrainingProgram Code: NJProgram Director: Jhack Sepulveda, Executive Director, Orange County Food Training and Education Center (FoodTEC)Program Degree Level: Students will earn 3 credits towards an Associate's degree in Science at SUNY Orange and the following industry-recognized certifications and credentials:ServSafe Manager's CertificateServeSafe Allergens CertificateHACCP Training for ManagersOSHA 10 General Industry TrainingHAZCOM Hazard Communication Worker Safety CourseGood Manufacturing PracticesPriority Need Area(s)Provide opportunities and access to food and agricultural careers in the public, non-profit, and private sectors.Align the efforts of HSIs and other non-profit organizations to support the academic development and career attainment of underrepresented groups.Educational Need Area(s)Curricula Design, Materials Development, and Library Resources (including development of courses of study and degree programs)Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for TeachingStudent Experiential LearningStudent Recruitment and RetentionPrimary Discipline: Food Safety/HorticultureSummary Text: FoodTEC Food Safety Program is an innovative, 15-week, food safety workforce development and training program to prepare individuals for entry-level Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, Food Quality Assurance Technicians, Kitchen/Plant Managers, or similar food safety positions. Participants will earn 3 credits towards an Associate's degree in Science at SUNY Orange, along with required, industry-recognized credentials. The program includes career-readiness training, food safety training, and on-the-job training with an industry partner. Recruitment efforts will strategically focus on engaging with low-income and Hispanic populations, and enhanced resources will be provided to increase retention and completion rates.
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Research Effort Categories
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Goals / Objectives
SUNY Orange, in coordination with FoodTEC, is requesting $330,721.87 from the USDA Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program to support the launch of the FoodTEC Food Safety Program (FoodTEC FSP), an innovative, 15-week, food safety workforce development and training program to prepare individuals for entry-level Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, Food Quality Assurance Technicians, Kitchen/Plant Managers, or similar food safety positions. Participants will earn 3 credits towards an Associate's in Science degree (Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Mathematics and Natural Science emphasis) at SUNY Orange, along with required, industry-recognized credentials. The program includes career-readiness training, food safety training, and on-the-job training with an industry partner. Recruitment efforts will strategically focus on engaging with low-income and Hispanic populations, and enhanced resources will be provided to increase retention and completion rates.?FoodTEC FSP objectives included:ObjectivesProvide opportunities and access to food and agricultural careers in the public, non-profit and private sectorsAlign the efforts of SUNY Orange and FoodTEC to support the academic development and career attainment of underrepresented groups, specifically Hispanic and low-income populations
Project Methods
c. Plan of Operation and Methodology: Describe the activities for accomplishingthe objectives of the project. Describe plans for managementObjectivesEducational Need AreasAssociated ActivitiesProvide opportunities and access to food and agricultural careers in the public, non-profit and private sectors1. Curricula Design and Materials2. Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching1. Design comprehensive program curricula to include: and purchase training suppliesPersonnel responsible: Program Director, Program Coordinator, FoodTEC Industry Advisory Council2. Instructor training will include Instructors CPR ServSafe Manager, Instructor & ProctorAllergen TrainingIntroduction to HACCPAdvanced HACCP Verification & Validation FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCQI)OSHAPersonnel responsible: Program Director, FoodTEC InstructorsAlign the efforts of SUNY Orange and FoodTEC to support the academic development and career attainment of underrepresented groups, specifically Hispanic and low-income populations3. Experiential Learning4. Student Recruitment and Retention3(a) Provide high-quality on-the-job training for a minimum of 90% of program graduates.Personnel responsible: Program Director, Program Coordinator, Administrative Liason3(b) Continued engagement and commitments from local employers who have expressed a need for food safety-certified employeesPersonnel responsible: Program Director, FoodTEC Industry Advisory Council, Administrative Liason4(a) Coordination of financial assistance for program costs per studentPersonnel responsible: SUNY Orange Administration, Program Director, Program Coordinator4(b) Website development to increase FoodTEC exposure and promote resources and services that support non-traditional and underserved populationsPersonnel responsible:Program Director and Program Coordinator4(c)Coordination of SUNY Orange and FoodTEC services and accommodations to provide an organized and accessible support system for FSP participantsPersonnel responsible:FoodTEC Program Coordinator and SUNY Orange support officesd. Timetable: FoodTEC FSP: June 2024 - DecemberSeptember 2024-December 31, 2024Engage with the Industry Advisory Council to assess food safety workforce needsDesign the curriculum, Course development and schedulingJanuary 2025 - December 2025Employer engagementObtain HACCP Alliance licensingTrain staffReport to funderJanuary 2026 - May 2026Launch 1st cohort of 12 ppl15-week program including on-the-job trainingReport to funderSeptember 2026 - December 2026Launch 2nd cohort of 13 ppl15-week program including on-the-job trainingJanuary 2027 - May 2027Launch 3rd cohort of 12 ppl15-week program including on-the-job trainingReport to funderSeptember 2027 - December 2027Launch 4th cohort of 13 ppl15-week program including on-the-job trainingReport to funderJanuary 2028 - February 2028Final program evaluation and reporting to USDA?The evaluation design is intended to provide both process feedback to improve and or modify program implementation and to inform any future initiatives. The project will be evaluated internally by the Project Director, Jhack Sepulveda, with support from the Program Coordinator, Chris Spezial, and Dr. Jean Leandre, Vice President of Workforce, Strategy, and Innovation at SUNY Orange. A mid-year evaluation report will be presented to the FoodTEC Industry Advisory Council, which will provide additional input and advise any program modifications. The Council will assist in reviewing student evaluations of on-the-job experience to determine program effectiveness in relation to meeting the needs of industry employers. A mixed-method evaluation, aligned with program objectives, will be conducted using quantitative and qualitative data. In addition to the data collected to evaluate performance measures (listed above), the Program Director and Program Coordinator will track:(1) participant enrollment(2) participant program completion(3) participant completion of HRT 101 and grades earned(4) total number of certifications/credentials awarded(5) accommodations and support services provided to trainees, including the number of students who benefit from transportation, childcare or other wraparound supports; and(6) the number of participants who enroll in additional SUNY Orange courses following completion of the programAdditionally, employer partners will assist in evaluating the program by assessing students' applicable knowledge and skill levels following on-the-job training, and pre and post-program surveys will be distributed to participants to gauge levels of skills development from a participant standpoint. Project evaluations will be used to drive continuous improvement throughout the project period.