There is a misconception about the typical college student. The typical student is not taking 12–16 credits per semester, with their educational goals being the only significant focus of their lives. Yes, some students do fit this picture, but most students are part-time, working while in school, and have family responsibilities, as well. At least, this is the reality for most community and technical college students. At Blackhawk Technical College in Rock County, Wisconsin, about 1,875 of the College's students are part time, which translates into 78 percent of the total student population. The average age of Blackhawk's part-time students is 27.
Given this reality, how does a food safety training program help students achieve their educational goals and make it to graduation? How do employers find and retain highly trained employees? How do we meet students where they are, and bring them forward with new skills and new knowledge? The answer to all three of these questions is to make training more flexible and, therefore, more accessible. In doing so, we help develop and train the next generation of food safety professionals.