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The Hospitality and Culinary Essentials program provides a comprehensive package that equips participants with the foundational skills, certifications, and practical experience needed to succeed in BC's tourism, hospitality, and food services industries.

Through hands-on training, the program prepares participants for roles such as:

• Front desk agents, hotel attendants, and guest services staff
• Servers, hosts, and customer service representatives
• Prep cooks, kitchen helpers, and community kitchen staff
• Cultural tourism guides, artisan vendors, and small business operators

Participants also gain valuable exposure to workplace expectations, industry certifications, and real-world experience through local employer placements. The program supports diverse career paths from employment in established businesses to launching a small community business.

Personal Development Courses

• Communication Skills
• Goal Setting and Time Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Financial Literacy

Hospitality Service Training Certificate

Prepares learners to successfully launch a career in the hospitality and tourism industry. This program provides training in hospitality and tourism industry overview, customer service excellence, front desk operations, housekeeping and food and beverage service.

Community Cook Series

Prepares participants for community kitchens, camps, restaurants and food trucks by covering inventory and ordering, sanitation and safety, kitchen tools and equipment, menu building, cost management and cooking techniques.

Cultural Tourism and Self-Employment

Participants will explore cultural site interpretation, storytelling, artisan work, Indigenous led-cultural activities integrating traditional knowledge, and business development fundamentals to launch or expand a business.

Industry-Recognized Certifications

• FoodSafe
• First Aid
• SuperHost
• WHMIS
• Serving-it-Right

Employability and Work Search Strategies

Employability Workshops

• Workshops in resume writing and cover letters, job search strategies, interview skills, and job readiness preparation.
• Connections to industry through guest speakers, education leaders, and potential employers.

Work Experience

Participants will complete a supervised, five-week work placement in hospitality, culinary, or cultural tourism settings, applying their skills in real-world environments.

There is strong demand for workers in BC's hospitality and tourism industry, especially in the Thompson-Okanagan region. Thousands of jobs will open up over the next several years, with many people retiring and more Canadians choosing to travel within the country. This program helps fill that gap by training people for real jobs that are needed now and in the future. Graduates will be ready to work in roles like food counter attendants, servers, hotel front desk staff, kitchen helpers, and cultural tourism guides, among many others. The skills learned in this program support long-term job opportunities in a growing industry and help build stronger local communities.

There is no cost for tuition or to register for the Hospitality and Culinary Essentials program.

Training will be held in-person and participants would attend in one of the three regions: North Okanagan/Shuswap at the Salmon Arm or Vernon 91̽»¨ campus; Central Okanagan/Merritt at the Kelowna 91̽»¨ campus; or South Okanagan-Similkameen region at the Penticton 91̽»¨ Campus.

Participants eligible to receive training must:

• Have an active Employment Insurance (EI) claim, or had an EI claim that ended within the past 60 months; or earned over $2,000 in insurable income and paid EI premiums in at least 5 of the last 10 years; or be a client of British Columbia Employment Assistance (BCEA), whether PWD (Person with Disabilities) or non-PWD, and
• Have an Action Plan (AP) that identifies PBLMT as a reasonable goal to support their occupational goal.
• Be eligible for WorkBC Case Management and be referred by a WorkBC Case Manager.

The project is open to participants who identify as Indigenous as well as Immigrants, and/or those with multiple barriers to employment, Persons with Disabilities, Youth, Survivors of Violence or Abuse and Youth at Risk.

For assistance or to verify your eligibility, please contact your local WorkBC office:

• Salmon Arm: 250-804-4770
• Vernon: 250-545-2215 ext. 230
• Kelowna: 778-738-0225
• Penticton: 1-833-313-0547
• Merritt: 250-378-5151

To start the eligibility process, please apply to WorkBC Services. Note that this process can take approximately 4 weeks, so we recommend starting this process as soon as possible.

1. Visit the WorkBC website: workbc.ca
2. Ensure that you have a secure ID for signing in – this can either be a BC Services Card or Basic BCeID
3. Register or sign in to the WorkBC Online Employment Services (OES) – provide the required personal information, and select a service you wish to apply for
4. Complete your application for the selected service.

For assistance or to verify your eligibility, please contact your local WorkBC office:

• Salmon Arm: 250-804-4770
• Vernon: 250-545-2215 ext. 230
• Kelowna: 778-738-0225
• Penticton: 1-833-313-0547
• Merritt: 250-378-5151