Building on the continued success of its groundbreaking Workforce Development Program, the Culinary Institute of the Pacific (CIP) at Kapiʻolani Community College, in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), announced that applications are now open for its summer 2025 cohorts. Cohort 9 and Cohort 10 will take place in June, offering full tuition scholarships for qualified applicants to access this prestigious culinary education experience at no cost.
Each five-day course is designed to elevate Hawaiʻi’s culinary talent through intensive, hands-on training led by CIA faculty, blending global culinary techniques with Hawaiʻi-sourced ingredients. Full tuition scholarships, valued at $1,500 per student, are made possible with generous support from Y. Hata & Co. Ltd. (Cohort 9) and Jim and Lynn Lally (Cohort 10) through the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance (HACA) CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund.
Applications for Cohorts 9 and 10 are open through May 20, 2025 at culinaryinstitute.hawaii.edu.
Global explorations of taste and technique
Cohort 9, Global Explorations of Taste and Technique will run June 16–20, 2025. Designed for culinary professionals with at least three years of experience in hotel, resort, or restaurant kitchens, this immersive course explores the physiology of taste, healthy cooking methods, global menu development, food and wine pairing, and use of specialty ingredients. Applicants must be 18 or older and be a Hawaiʻi resident or active military stationed in Hawaiʻi.
Essential foundations of culinary, high school opportunities
In addition to providing working professionals with the opportunity to expand their culinary skills, for the first time the program will expand its offering to serve high school students through a special summer intensive tailored to juniors and seniors with a passion for culinary arts. Cohort 10: Essential Foundations of Culinary will run June 23–27, 2025 and cover essential kitchen techniques, service timing, plating artistry, and flavor building, ending with a dynamic market basket challenge showcasing creativity and newfound expertise. As with all cohort offerings, participants will receive a certificate of completion from both the CIA and CIP, as well as continuing education credits and a digital badge.
Both cohorts will be led by Chef Tom Wong, a distinguished instructor at the CIA’s Greystone Campus in Napa Valley and an alumnus of both the Culinary Institute of America and Kapiʻolani CC. Chef Wong’s impressive career spans 35 years in the luxury hospitality industry throughout the U.S., including executive chef positions at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, as well as features on the Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of Hawaii and Great Chefs of the World.
Continuing excellence
Since launching in September 2024, the CIP x CIA Workforce Development program has provided hands-on advanced training for 95 culinary professionals representing a cross-section of Hawaiʻi’s vibrant culinary industry—from hotels, resorts, restaurants and cafes, to healthcare, education, military, entrepreneurs and more.
“We’re proud to continue offering opportunities that support the growth of Hawaiʻi’s culinary industry through education,” said Chef Roy Yamaguchi, director of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific. “By expanding access to both professionals and high school students who aspire to pursue a culinary career, this summer’s cohorts reinforce our mission to cultivate future leaders and elevate Hawaiʻi’s culinary landscape through world-class training.”
For more information on the CIP x CIA collaboration, workforce development programs, scholarship opportunities, and campus updates, please visit culinaryinstitute.hawaii.edu. To support this initiative through a charitable gift to the HACA CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund, contact HACA Vice President Aya Leslie at aya@hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com.
