Program Duration and Maximum Time for Completion
Food Service Careers is a full-time certificate program, thirty-eight (38) weeks in length, which consist of twenty-six (26) weeks of classroom/kitchen/industry orientation and training, and twelve (12) weeks of workplace experience placement.
The Food Service Careers Program provides a supportive environment in which students receive skills training and knowledge in preparation for entry level positions in the food service industry.
The program begins with an orientation and introduction to basic job readiness skills, industry orientation, Worker Safety, FOODSAFE™, kitchen awareness, and use of kitchen knives. Students progress from kitchen basics to food preparation and cooking skills. Classroom/kitchen learning components then alternate with three supervised workplace experience placements, four (4) weeks in length, which progressively increase in variety and complexity of tasks.
Instruction is delivered for certification in FOODSAFE Level 1™ and Serving It Right™
Experiential learning and ongoing practice of skills occur throughout the program, on campus, in the teaching kitchen/classroom, during industry tours, as well as during the work experience placements in the food service Industry.
The twelve (12) weeks of work experience placement allow students to benefit from a realistic and practical exposure to the workplace. Food Service Careers program faculty work closely with students to determine strengths and abilities when choosing work experience sites. Faculty also provide ongoing support to the student during work experience placements.
Between work experience placements, students return to the college. Program faculty review the student’s work experience performance, re-teach, and reinforce skills or areas requiring attention. New learning continues in the classroom/teaching kitchen in preparation for the next placement.
Students participate in two formal planning meetings and an exit interview with program faculty. The planning meetings assist students to identify strengths, areas of improvement, and goals, as well as suggest strategies for success. The exit interview reviews student success, expectations, and outcomes. A student’s attendance at the planning meeting is mandatory, and the student may choose to invite family and/or support persons to attend in their meeting.
