Paid internship as a Temporary Culinary Ambassador. 

You should apply only if you meet the following criteria:

• Now accepting applications for youth ages 15-17 
• Understand this is a temporary position 8-Week Program
• You must live in Troy
• You’re interested in food, hospitality, or learning job skills
• You like working with your hands and as part of a team
• You are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment around industrial kitchen equipment
• You’re open to learning, showing up on time, and trying new things

No prior kitchen experience is required! This is a paid training opportunity.

Schedule:
Monday–Thursday 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM  8-Week Program beginning in mid February 2026

Location: 2431 6th Ave, Troy, NY (Unity House)

About the Program

Unity House’s Test Kitchen is a hands-on workforce training program designed for young adults who are curious about food, hospitality, and working with people. This is not culinary school — it’s a real-world skill building experience designed around teamwork, responsibility, and professional kitchen etiquette. You’ll learn by working alongside peers, and will gain experience that can lead directly to jobs in restaurants, cafés, and hospitality settings.

Over the 8 weeks, you will gain skills in:

Kitchen:

• Making pizza dough, sauce, and toppings from scratch
• Basic knife skills and kitchen safety
• Food sanitation and ServSafe Food Handler fundamentals
• Kitchen organization, prep, and workflow

Front of House & Customer Service: 

• Guest interaction and hospitality fundamentals 
• POS (point-of-sale) system training 
• Observing fine-dining and fast-casual service environments
• Personal responsibility and professionalism 
• Communication and teamwork
• Time management and punctuality
• First Aid & CPR certification 
• Financial literacy basics (budgeting, banking, paychecks)
• Resume building and mock interviews
• Field trips to operating local restaurants along with, guest speakers from the food and hospitality industry
• Final Challenge
   You and your fellow participants will plan and run a mock restaurant service for 15+ guests — taking on real kitchen and service roles as a team.

What You’ll Walk Away With

• ServSafe Food Handler Certification
• CPR / First Aid Certification
• Hands-on restaurant experience
• Resume support and interview practice
• Professional references
• A clearer sense of career direction
• Confidence working in fast-paced environments

Selected applicants will be contacted for a brief interview with program staff.

Questions?

If you’re unsure whether this program is right for you — apply anyway to learn more!

Ambassador Expectations:

Ambassadors must be able to reasonably stand on their feet for a 4-hour period.  Must be comfortable working around hot stoves, open flames, and an industrial pizza oven. You must be comfortable working with knives, tools, and other sharp objects necessary for cooking (Instruction will be issued for all tools and machinery.  You will be required to wash dishes as well as clean/sanitize floors, surfaces, and workstations. (Instruction will be issued for all sanitary equipment and practices.) You will be working with foods that are considered common allergens (i.e. gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs… etc.) Please be able to pick up and move upwards of 30 pounds as well as be able to bend, squat, and reach upwards in order to complete daily tasks. (Reasonable accommodations available.) You will be expected to be punctual, complete tasks in a timely manner, and meet frequently with Program Directors for coaching.   As this is a training program, you are expected to listen, take constructive criticism, and work in unison with all others. Must have basic literary and computational skills in order to complete modules and read/calculate recipes.