This morning, the mayor of Almansa, Pilar Callado, and the councilor of Employment, Pablo Sánchez, visited the Professional Certificate course in Cooking (Level 2), a training initiative aimed at improving the employability of unemployed individuals and meeting the growing demand for qualified personnel in the hospitality sector in the city.
The program, which has a grant of 89,850 euros awarded by the Ministry of Economy, Companies, and Employment of Castilla-La Mancha, is 100% funded by the regional government. Thanks to this investment, 16 students with ESO studies or higher education have been able to access specialized training in the approved hospitality facilities of the Employment area of the City Council.
The course, which started on January 28, 2025, and will end in late September, has a total duration of 760 hours of theoretical training and 100 hours of practical training in companies. Its objective is to train participants in pre-preparation, preparation, presentation, and preservation of food, as well as in the definition of gastronomic offers, always complying with food handling safety and hygiene standards.
The training responds to the City Council’s commitment to promote a Hospitality School, an initiative included in the government’s electoral program. As highlighted by the mayor, Almansa is a gastronomic reference not only at the provincial level but throughout Castilla-La Mancha, making this training crucial to ensure generational succession in local restaurants.
The training is divided into modules taught by highly qualified teachers, such as Rafael Saura and Emilio Díaz, the latter being a chef and coordinator of one of the town’s most emblematic restaurants.
Food safety and hygiene in hospitality (60 hours).
Gastronomic offers and supply systems (70 hours).
Preparation and preservation of food (190 hours), covering vegetables, mushrooms, fish, seafood, meats, and poultry.
Culinary techniques (240 hours), with the preparation of basic dishes with various ingredients.
Culinary products (170 hours), including creative, Spanish, and international cuisine, as well as plate decoration.
Non-labor professional practices (80 hours).
The internships will take place in bars and restaurants in the town in two periods: from May 12 to 25 and from September 12 to 30, 2025.
More than half of the participants receive scholarships to facilitate their access to training:
€9/day for people with disabilities, long-term unemployed individuals, individuals over 50, youth facing insertion difficulties, women in underrepresented sectors, and victims of gender violence.
€15/day for childcare, for those with children under 12 or dependent family members and no income exceeding 75% of the IPREM.
€0.19/km for transportation, with a maximum of €25 per day.
The group consists of eight men and eight women, with four students having already completed the Kitchen Assistant course last year, allowing them to access this new level of training and enhance their job prospects.
With this initiative, the City Council reaffirms its commitment to training and employment in a key sector for the local economy, offering real job placement opportunities to the people of Almansa.