New England Culinary Arts Training
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Student Stories

Shawn Bishop, Cohort 21

October 5, 2018

“One year ago I woke up in the dirt on the side of the Connecticut River, wanting to die, and now I’m in the Sky Box, loving my job.”

Shawn Bishop worked in construction his whole life until major health problems got in his way. After nine years of unemployment and drug addiction, Shawn was preparing to leave his sober house and needed retraining – “I had no skills, I was completely unemployable”.

“Coming to NECAT was the smartest decision I ever made. I learned everything about cooking and working in a kitchen.”

At NECAT, Shawn also got his confidence back. “I cannot tell you the last time I had any confidence, but when I started my job, I felt totally prepared for everything they threw at me.”

Shawn is working full-time at Fenway Park, cooking high-end cuisine for the distinguished clientele in the luxury boxes. He earns a great salary, receives union benefits, has growth potential with his employer and feels at home in their kitchen.

“I tell everyone about this program – but I make sure they know this is not a place to come to learn how to cook, or a way to extend your benefits. NECAT will help you launch a career.”

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https://www.ne-cat.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/1rJ9WUig.jpeg 2048 1536 competenow /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/logo.png competenow2018-10-05 19:20:192023-07-30 21:28:28Shawn Bishop, Cohort 21

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About

Core Values
Staff
Board
Gallery
History
Financials

Programs

Locations
Curriculum
Admissions
Apply Now

Careers & Alumni

Career Services
Alumni
Student Stories

Catering & Events

Catering
Event Space
NECAT Events

Support Us

Ways To Give
Supporters
Donate

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NECAT
23 Bradston Street
Boston, MA 02118

(617) 442-3600
info@ne-cat.org

Contact Us

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

NECAT Boston Training Center

NECAT Boston Training Center
23 Bradston Street
Boston, MA 02118

NECAT’s headquarters is our main training facility and home to our administrative offices. The Center includes a classroom auditorium with a demonstration kitchen, our teaching kitchen and the Career Services and Alumni Engagement Center. There are always two cohorts in session – Black Hats (the first seven weeks of training in the classroom) and Orange Hats (second seven weeks of training in the kitchen) and ten cohorts a year will graduate.

The next scheduled cohort start date is August 16, 2023. Click here to find out how you can register.

East Boston YMCA

215 Bremen Street
East Boston, MA 02128
617-569-9622

NECAT offers a 12-week culinary training program taught at the East Boston YMCA. The mission and program elements mirror NECAT’s Boston Program, but the geographic target areas for program participants and employment are focused in East Boston and Chelsea. Additionally, NECAT’s training in East Boston will be conducted in Spanish and English, respectful of the language and cultural diversity of local participants. East Boston has the largest percentage of Spanish speaking adults in Boston.

The next scheduled cohort start date is September 2023. Click here to find out how you can register.

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Behind the Walls

Suffolk County House of Correction (SCHC)

NECAT’s Behind the Walls program brings our holistic training program directly to the adults incarcerated at SCHC. Working in partnership with the re-entry team at SCHC, and using the prison’s teaching kitchen, a NECAT chef fulfills NECAT’s curriculum to the same standards as its Boston program. NECAT’s career services team provides job counseling and placement services when graduates are released from incarceration.