Downtown Job Center

GO COOK - Workforce Training Program to Launch August 30th

GO Cook is a five-week training program that prepares individuals for entry level culinary careers (e.g., food prep, pantry cook, line cook, etc.) within the restaurant industry. The program, free for eligible City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County residents, is a partnership among the City’s Office of Economic Development, Chef Antwon Brinson of Culinary Concepts AB LLC, and Albemarle County to offer training that will equip residents with basic cooking skills, ServSafe certification, a Certified Cook certification, and workplace essential skills. Classes will be held Monday through Friday, from 9:00am to 1:30pm, at Culinary Concepts AB (2041 Barracks Road) beginning August 30^th. After five weeks of training, participants will job shadow in local restaurants in order to gain hands-on experience. After successful completion of this program, participants will have the opportunity to be considered for employment with area food establishments. Participants will receive additional on-the-job training to continue growing their culinary skills.

The GO Cook applications are being accepted now with interviews to follow. Application assistance is available by contacting Roy Fitch at 970-3959 or Juandiego Wade at 970-4010.

The City of Charlottesville Downtown Job Center, located at 507 E. Main St., is your resource for employment services. Whether you’re a job seeker looking for assistance with job searches or resume writing, or an employer needing targeted recruitment strategies or access to workforce programs, the Downtown Job Center is the place for you! Our friendly staff will offer customized services to meet your specific needs. 

Assistance is available, free of charge, to anyone who visits the Center.  For more information, please contact us by e-mail or 434-970-3933.

The Downtown Job Center is open Tuesday to Thursday  9:00 am to 4:30 pm. , Monday and Friday by appointment. The Center is also closed occasionally for staff meetings, training, and other workforce obligations. For an up-to-date calendar of hours that is updated every Monday and as otherwise needed, please refer to our calendar. 

Satellite Office

The City of Charlottesville Downtown Job Center is a program of the City of Charlottesville’s Office of Economic Development. The Center is a certified satellite of the Virginia Workforce Center - Charlottesville located at 944 Glenwood Station Lane, Suite 103.

Requirements

Please note that in order to receive services at the Downtown Job Center you will need to complete an intake form on the computer. This simple form is a way of signing in and providing staff with some needed information about you and the type of assistance you need. Due to the time needed to complete an intake form and for staff to assist you, please allow a minimum of 30 minutes for your visit. Because of this, no intakes will be started within 30 minutes of the close of business.