Training Program For U.S. Vets Builds Database

Foodservice equipment is getting more complex and the need for trained technicians is ever-growing. Also increasing is the stream of veterans returning from military service overseas who need jobs in the civilian sector.

Service and equipment repair companies are part of a new program, TechU24, to recruit and train returning military personnel as foodservice equipment service technicians and/or facilities and maintenance professionals as they transition into the civilian workforce. The TechU24 training and hiring program was developed in partnership with the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association and is approved by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

Heritage Food Service Group, the Ft. Wayne, Ind.-based parts distributor and servicer, is among the companies participating in the TechU24 training and hiring program. Companies are included in a database of more than 600 potential employers interested in interviewing and hiring program graduates.

There is no cost to organizations participating in the program, which is in markets including Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Dallas, and Norfolk, Va.