Kitchen Management Courses Take Practical Approach
When attending Kitchen Management courses that lead to positions such as Food Operations Managers, it is essential to choose a school that offers practical practice. At Centennial College, students can attend the Hospitality Operations – Kitchen Management program, which boasts just that. In just two semesters, students are prepared for their careers through courses that range from business practices in accounting, human resources and supervision to sanitation, hygiene and safety as well as quantity food preparation, practical supervision of food production, customer service, human resources and career planning, hospitality accounting, practical math, purchasing for the commercial kitchen and many others.
Specific Kitchen Management courses in this respected program include: Introduction to Hospitality Program Accounting (covers basic cost control, basic revenue management, accounting principles and concepts); Quantity Food Production (students learn technique, terminology, creativity, correct use of equipment, recipe and measurement analysis, and safe handling and storage procedures); Supervisory Practices for the Kitchen Manager (gives learners an opportunity to practice the skill set of a successful supervisor); and more.
Aside from attending the above-mentioned Kitchen Management courses, students gain other hands-on experience. One such component is the one-day-a week running of a real kitchen at Centennial College’s on-campus living lab-restaurant called Horizons. This type of practical practice is ideal preparation for a second semester Kitchen Management field placement. Field placement enables learners to better understand the dynamics of the industry, increases their knowledge of industry practices and provides a competitive advantage of experience in the job market.
Once students have completed the Kitchen Management courses, they graduate with an Ontario College Certificate and the Smart Serve Program and the National Sanitation Training certificates. Students then may pursue further education at Centennial College’s two-year Food and Beverage Management program.
Additionally those who have attended Kitchen Management courses and want to enter the field upon graduation may do so as Food Operations Managers. These professionals plan work programs, staff for cash food service, interview, hire employees and train employees, review inventory, request and purchase food supplies, plan menus and price points, supervise operations, observe quality of service and more. The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) anticipates that the food and beverage services sector will grow to employ 1.95-million people by 2015. The CTHRC has also reported that, presently, 68 per cent of employees within this sector are young Canadians
But just what does one need to attend Centennial College’s Kitchen Management courses? First and foremost, applicants 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 Kitchen Management courses.