Obtain a Food Service Certificate — With the Practical Training to Get Hired!

“I learned an enormous amount about different diets and health issues concerning healthcare food service, as well as kitchen skills and different cooking techniques,” says Catrina Evans, a former student of the program. “This is an excellent program to take if you would like to work in the health care food service industry.”

Catrina is one of the many students who graduate from this offering every 15 weeks and enter careers in long-term care, retirement homes, and acute care or with food service contractors. In these positions, food service workers are responsible for:

• Assisting with food preparation, portioning, packaging and serving
  
  
• Cleaning surfaces and equipment, assembling and disassembling food trays
  
  
• Delivering and picking up food and food trays to patients
  
  
• Providing dining room style meal service to residents
  
  
• Operating a cash register, making change for food purchases and performing customer service duties
  
  
• Handling kitchen wares and operating power kitchen equipment, such as dishwashers
  
  
• Setup, delivery and takedown of catering orders
  
  
• This program prepares students for these duties in a number of ways. Because the offering is only 15 weeks long, it is delivered in a concentrated format.
  
  
• The curriculum was developed to meet the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Standards and Criteria (with input from professional organizations and healthcare employers).
  
  
• Students attend just six essential courses.
  
  
• The courses within the offering include: The Role of the Food Service Worker, Workplace Communications, Safety and Sanitation, Nutrition in Health Care, Kitchen Equipment and Food Preparation, Food Service Work Placement.
  
  
• The program covers the practical aspects of quantity food preparation, meal service, basic therapeutic diets and nutrition, proper sanitation practices, effective communication and quality customer service.
  
  
• Centennial College has an on-campus food lab where students can put into application what they have learned in their courses
  
  
• Work Placement is an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge to the real world and further prepare for positions in a healthcare facility.
  
  
• Students benefit from Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training.
  
  
• The offering qualifies students to obtain the Train Can Basics Food Safety Certificate, which is accepted by Toronto Public Health as an equivalent to their Food Handlers Certificate.
  
  
• While this offering proves that a Food Service degree is not necessary for success in the field, grads who wish to further their education may transfer into the school’s two-year Food and Nutrition Management diploma program.