Monday, September 6, 2010

Have a Hand in Serving Up Delicious Cuisine in Food and Beverage Management

That delicious rack of lamb with the meat that is falling off the bone and a nice glass of wine or that succulent shrimp in creamy Alfredo sauce and penne pasta are meant to hit the spot and satisfy your taste buds. But whom are the people ensuring that your meal is served to your liking and that your restaurant experience is memorable? They are professionals in Hospitality Management – Food and Beverage. With the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) anticipating that the food and beverage services sector will grow to employ 1.95-million people by 2015, now is a great time to get your career started.

Restaurant operation managers are responsible for monitoring the day-to-day operations of an eatery — whether at a restaurant, a hotel, a golf club, a cruise or banquet hall. They collaborate with other managers and owners in the planning, directing and coordinating of restaurant operations. They also deal directly with customers and employees and are responsible for a diversity of duties that include financial record keeping and hiring, handling and firing employees. More specifically, those trained in Hospitality Management – Food and Beverage, handle duties such as ensuring that all materials used in food preparation and serving are working properly, ordering new refrigerators, cookers or blenders or ordering repair services; playing an active role in marketing the restaurant and devising promotional programs, interacting with customers and vendors and ensure that their needs are met, managing inventory and keeping financial records of purchases and sales and working with the human resources department to train, develop, hire, retain and fire employees.

To enter this multi-faceted field, students must obtain the adequate training and education. Centennial College offers a two-year program called Hospitality Management – Food and Beverage. You will learn skills, including menu management and design, kitchen management, beverage knowledge and bartending. These topics are taught through courses such as Quantity Food Production, Supervisory Practices for Kitchen Manager, Cuisines of Diverse Cultures, Beverage Knowledge and Bartending, Dining Room Management and many others. Centennial College also houses an on-campus student training restaurant, a hospitality management centre and lab practice facilities.
To supplement the theory that is learned, you will also spend two days per week in a placement at a restaurant or hotel. This placement will give you the practical experience to be employable upon graduation. Also, many of the program’s corporate and business partners will hire students during or after periods of work experience. Lastly, certifications include the Smart Serve program and the National Sanitation Training Certificate.

To apply for the Hospitality Management – Food and Beverage program, Centennial College expects students to present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Compulsory English 12C or U skills assessment, or equivalent is also required. Possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

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