Suburban hospital uses apprenticeship program to ameliorate scarcity of hospital cooks

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's no secret finding employees is a struggle across several sectors these days.

The health care industry is especially hurting -- but we're not talking about shortages of nurses or lab techs. CBS 2's Lauren Victory showed us one hospital system's solution to a scarcity of cooks.

Kora Irby is usually in the kitchen. The 27-year-old loves to share meals she creates on social media. 

"I've basically been cooking since I was like 3," said Irby. "It's kind of like my natural hidden talent."

Recently, she decided to turn that passion into a profession as the first culinary apprentice at Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn.

She's going back to the basics at the start. But by the end of her training, she'll be able to become a full-blown hospital cook.

"I was really excited and full of joy, because this is exactly what I wanted to do," said Irby.

She and six other apprentices signed a three-year commitment to various Advocate Aurora Health hospitals last week. That involves three years of kitchen work, and classroom instruction about topics like food safety.

What made her OK with committing to three years? 

"Honestly, the stability," she said.

It's stability for the hospital system too.

"Food and nutrition positions have always been really hard to fill. But this past January and December, they were at critical levels that this industry has never seen before," said Anna Helbig, Workforce Development Program Manager for Advocate Aurora.

Hiring apprentices helps get meals out the door to sick patients. It also helps wannabe chefs avoid paying for culinary school.

Helbig adds the trainees are paid and get vacation and health care benefits, in what she dubs an "earn while you learn" program.

"The apprentices make more than our minimum wage, which we have at $18 an hour," Helbig said, "and every year of the apprenticeship, their wage increases."

It's a win for the hospital and win for Irby who has the bonus of knowing her food is delivered to someone who might need the comfort of a good meal.

"It's like an opportunity that's once in a lifetime," she said of the apprenticeship.

Advocate Aurora Health started the apprenticeship program in the facility and maintenance department. Now that culinary is cooking, program developers are looking to expand to other areas of the hospital system.

Each apprentice will clock an estimated 6-thousand hours of on-the-job training over the next three years.

Advocate Aurora Health won't require their newly-minted cooks stay with them at the end of their stints - but of course are hoping they do.