About Us | UHCHI

Our Story

UHCHI was founded in 2017 as a Taft-Hartley trust, a joint endeavor by the UNITE HERE Local 1 union and employer partners to work collaboratively towards building talent for the Hospitality and Tourism industry. In December of 2019, UHCHI became the first U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship – Chef de Partie in the State of Illinois and second nationally, preceded only by our sister organization LAHTA. In April of 2021, UHCHI opened its doors to its first group of culinary apprentices – Cohort 1. Since then, UHCHI has been hard at work developing the next generation of culinary professionals for the Chicagoland area.

We recruit, train, and retain skilled employees and provide ongoing professional development and support to individuals in the Chicagoland area, who will deliver high quality guest services to our employer partners and to the public.

Our vision is to be the premier hospitality training provider in the Chicagoland area.

Our Impact

75.3% of accepted Apprentices complete our intensive 8-Week hands-on training

UHCHI has engaged with over

since 2021

0 people

146 Apprentices have been
accepted into the Chef de Partie
Apprentice program through
Sept. 2023

UHCHI currently partners with

Community-Based Organizations

over 0

UHCHI Apprentices have completed

hours of on-the-job training through Sept. 2023

over 0

UHCHI's Commitment to Equity & Inclusion

With a commitment to equity and inclusion, the UNITE HERE Chicago Hospitality Institute (UHCHI) works closely with community partners to recruit individuals from traditionally underserved populations including women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, veterans and justice-involved individuals.

· 92% of UHCHI Culinary Apprentices are people of color, with 69% identifying as African American and 20% identifying as Hispanic or Latinx.

· While the culinary world at large is often dominated by men, over half (55%) of UHCHI Culinary Apprentices identify as female or non-binary.

· UHCHI serves students of all ages, however UHCHI has a strong record recruiting, training, and placing young people of color in unionized culinary positions. In fact, one in three UHCHI Culinary Apprentices are between the ages of 18-25.

· UHCHI believes in the transformative power of Registered Apprenticeships for all people, including justice-involved individuals. Over 10% of UHCHI Culinary Apprentices are returning citizens.

· Most (83%) UHCHI Culinary Apprentices are Chicago residents, whose unionized culinary career path uplift themselves, their families and the communities where they live.

UHCHI’s wrap around services and supportive environment means that students are set up to succeed. To further reduce barriers to success, UHCHI students receive additional digital, math, reading and ESL tutoring
through a partnership with Literacy Chicago. With the support of HIRE360
Chicago’s Barrier Reduction Fund, students who are parents can receive
financial support for childcare.

84.5% of UHCHI’s Culinary Apprentices are successfully placed in professional culinary positions, after completing the eight-week intensive U.S Department of Labor Registered Chef de Partie related training instruction.
UHCHI Culinary Apprentices earn on average upwards of $23 per hour with union benefits through UNITE HERE Local 1.

Our Community

UHCHI partners with community-based organizations to supply our apprentices with more than just top-of-the-line culinary training, including literacy assistance, resume building, and financial life skills.