Skip to the content 
‘Like A Chef’ in Stockholm hosts first graduation
- The Like A Chef program, a Feed the Planet initiative driven by Worldchefs, Electrolux Food Foundation, and AIESEC, hosted a graduation ceremony for its first wave of students in Stockholm.
- Graduates received comprehensive culinary education, encompassing cooking techniques and strategies for reducing food waste, to help them identify suitable employment
- The unique Like a Chef initiative was launched in 2017 with a goal to educate and train 3,000 people worldwide by 2030. Learn more about Feed the Planet programs including Like A Chef at feedtheplanet.worldchefs.org.
Paris, 13 October 2023 – In a ceremony held this past September, the ‘Like A Chef’ program in Stockholm celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of students, marking a significant milestone in their employment journey. The event marked a heartwarming celebration of each student’s success in finishing the life-altering culinary training program.
Supported by Feed the Planet partners, Worldchefs and the Electrolux Food Foundation, and in collaboration with Svenska Kockars Förening, Sodexo, Stockholms Stad, and Arbetsförmedlingen, the Like a Chef employment training program in Stockholm has successfully trained and empowered new generation of kitchen professionals.
Stockholms Stad and Arbetsförmedlingen selected nine participants marginalized communities grappling with unemployment, including immigrants and young residents of city suburbs, to partake in the Like A Chef training program held in Stockholm, Sweden. Led by professional chefs from Worldchefs’ National Association member Svenska Kockars Förening, the curriculum encompassed cooking techniques and food waste reduction strategies with a sustainability focus.
Over the course of a 120-hour culinary training program, students gained culinary expertise, enabling them to identify viable employment opportunities and achieve financial stability. Six of the graduates have already secured unique internship opportunities at Sodexo’s Stockholm restaurants and Clarion Hotel Stockholm, contributing to the sustainability efforts in the hospitality industry.
“The Like a Chef program is training the next generation of kitchen professionals that will help shape the industry on a new basis, where food and its impact on the planet are taking the center stage,” says Cosimo Scarano, Head of the Electrolux Food Foundation.
For more information about the ‘Like A Chef’ program, please visit https://feedtheplanet.worldchefs.org/like-a-chef/.
Impacting Communities
Like a Chef was launched in late 2017 with a goal to educate and train 3000 people worldwide by 2030. Founded and driven by Worldchefs together with Electrolux Food Foundation, the Like a Chef program is an employment training initiative that provides professional culinary skills to underprivileged individuals. The program emphasizes sustainable cooking methods with a zero-waste approach.
Adapted to each community it serves, the program empowers various groups in need, including refugees, single parents, cancer survivors, and orphaned teenagers, to provide for themselves and their families. With over 1000 graduates, there have been eight training centers around the world in Brazil, Poland, Egypt, Sweden, St. Lucia, Russia, and Ukraine.
“This project is really tailored to the needs of local communities. Together with our partner Worldchefs, Electrolux Food Foundation really wanted to give back to local communities and that’s the purpose and the secret of the success of this initiative,” said Cosimo Scarano, Head of Electrolux Food Foundation. “We are very honored to see the recognition coming for this program and are every day more and more convinced of its potential in changing people’s lives. Thanks to my team and to everyone who contributes daily to Like a Chef implementation and success.”
Take action
The Like a Chef program is made possible with the support of Feed the Planet partners and the tireless contributions of Worldchefs’ members around the globe. Worldchefs extends the utmost gratitude to all program participants, local partners, sponsors, and volunteer chefs who contribute to the life-changing success of Like a Chef and all Feed the Planet initiatives. It is the dedication of Worldchefs’ global community that fosters resilience and solidarity in the industry and beyond.
“It’s an incredible honor to have been able to help change the lives of over 1000 people through the Like a Chef program, and the only way this is possible is through the diverse partnership of Worldchefs, Electrolux Food Foundation, and AIESEC, which together forms the backbone of Feed the Planet,” says Feed the Planet Chairman, Chris Koetke. “We look forward to expanding our program and reaching more lives in the years to come.”
To learn more about Feed the Planet and the Like a Chef program, visit feedtheplanet.worldchefs.org.
Read more in the latest issue of Worldchefs Magazine
Head to page 47 in Issue 29 to read more about how the Like a Chef program is changing lives.
From mastering the art of sustainable cooking to embracing the latest technological advancements in the kitchen, Worldchefs Magazine is your guide to staying at the forefront of the culinary profession.
