Hospitality Program Teaches Students The Ins And Outs Of The Kitchen

Did you know that by attending the hospitality program at Centennial College called Hospitality Operations Kitchen Management, graduates go on to be employed by reputable and varied companies such as: Swiss Chalet, Milestones, Red Lobster, Jack Astor’s, The Keg, Canyon Creek and many others? That’s because the Kitchen Management courses within this undertaking focus on offering students a range of skill sets through hands-on experience in an on-campus student training restaurant,
business practices in accounting, human resources, and supervision.

To apply for this hospitality program’s Kitchen Management courses, students are required to have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Students must also have attended the compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment or equivalent. It should be noted that possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the hospitality program.

Once they are accepted, students spend two semesters working towards an Ontario College Certificate as well as the Smart Serve program and the National Sanitation Training certificates. This is achieved through Kitchen Management courses that include: Supervisory Practices for the Kitchen Manager (designed to give learners an opportunity to practice the skill set of a successful supervisor); Quantity Food Production (emphasis is placed on technique, terminology, creativity, correct use of equipment, recipe and measurement analysis, and safe handling and storage procedures); Introduction to Hospitality Accounting (learners obtain the abilities to apply basic cost control, basic revenue management, work with theoretical financial situations and increasing their understanding of accounting principles and concepts and the application of these principles and concepts related to the hospitality, Tourism and Culture industry); and more.

To round of these Kitchen Management courses, the hospitality program gives students the chance to apply what they have learned in the school’s on-campus living lab-restaurant called Horizons. The experience also serves are preparation for the hospitality program’s field placement. During this time, students work in approved jobs within the food service industry. Field placement enables learners to better understand the dynamics of the industry, increase their knowledge of industry practices and provides a competitive advantage of experience in the job market.

Once they complete the hospitality courses within this offering, students may stream into the second year of Centennial’s two-year Food and Beverage Management program to further their education. Alternatively, they are fully prepared to work as food operations managers who plan, organize and direct a varied staff of food service personnel in a many types of food service operations, including catering and banquet, restaurants or specialty snack food service. Among the specific responsibilities of those who have completed Kitchen Management courses are: planning work programs, staffing for cash food service, interviewing and hiring employees, training employees, reviewing inventory, requesting and purchasing food supplies, planning menus and price points, supervising operations, observing quality of service and other such daily tasks.