Photo l-r: Wiregrass Culinary Arts student Victoria Dowell, Fairway Tavern Executive Chef Cliff Jones, Wiregrass Culinary Arts student Alesandra Fisher, and Wiregrass Apprenticeship Coordinator Bill Meli.

VALDOSTA – Wiregrass announces a partnership with Fairway Tavern for a new Culinary Arts apprenticeship program.

Release:

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College has added two more Culinary Arts students to its Apprenticeship program through a new partnership with Fairway Tavern restaurant in Valdosta. Students Victoria Dowell and Alesandra Fisher are gaining valuable hands-on training through this opportunity while continuing their education in the classroom and training kitchens at Wiregrass.

Victoria’s goal is to one day open her own restaurant, and this apprenticeship will give her the real-world experience she needs to understand restaurant operations firsthand.

A registered apprenticeship is a career pathway that combines paid work experience, related classroom instruction, and the opportunity to earn a nationally recognized credential. For businesses and industries, apprenticeships offer a proven strategy to recruit, train, and retain highly skilled employees.

In FY25, Wiregrass collaborated with 29 employers who had active apprentices, supported 53 students in the program, and celebrated nine completers.

For more information about apprenticeship opportunities with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, visit www.wiregrass.edu or contact bill.meli@wiregrass.edu.