Centennial College

Did you know that attending a Hospitality Management program, such as Centennial College’s Hospitality Management – Restaurant and Catering undertaking results in a challenging and satisfying career in restaurant operations management? In this position, the professional oversees the day-to-day operations of a restaurant. More specifically, he or she: manages daily operations, and organizes the use of materials and employee resources; ensures all materials used in food preparation and serving are working properly; orders new refrigerators, pots and blenders or calls for repair services; plays an active role in marketing the restaurant and devising promotional programs; interacts with customers and vendors and ensures that their needs are met in a timely and satisfactory manner; manages inventory and keeps financial records of purchases and sales; and works with the human resources department to train, develop, hire, retain and fire employees.

The skills needed to carry out these tasks take two years to master with Centennial College’s Hospitality Management program, which results in an Ontario College Diploma as well as certifications that include the Smart Serve program and the National Sanitation Training certificate. Hospitality Management applicants must posses at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or have mature student status (19 years or older). In addition, they must have finished the English Grade 12 C or U or equivalent, or skills assessment.

Once accepted, students of the Hospitality Management program learn everything they need to be comfortable and familiar with menu management and design, kitchen management, beverage knowledge and bartending. This is achieved through a combination of theory and practical training that includes business practices in accounting, purchasing, human resources, supervision and cost control. Courses also cover business practices in accounting, purchasing, human resources, supervision and cost control.

Helping students to retain their newly acquired knowledge is access to the facilities at Progress Campus. These facilities include a hospitality management centre and real restaurant called Horizons. This “living lab” allows Hospitality Management program students to interact with customers, run the kitchen, carry out menu management and more.

In addition, students partake in two field placements. The first Hospitality Management program field placement enables learners to better understand the dynamics of the kitchen manager position, increase their knowledge of industry practices and provides a competitive advantage of experience in the job market. The second Hospitality Management field placement provides students with a continued learning experience, this time in the restaurant and catering manager positions. Among the Hospitality Management program’s industry partners are: Swiss Chalet, Kelsey’s, Milestones, Red Lobster, The Keg, Jack Astor’s, Canyon Creek and more.

Those who successfully complete the Hospitality Management program can further education through the Hospitality Management program’s partnerships, which them to apply academic credit towards further study. Among these partnership school are: Athabasca University, International Hotel Management Institute (Switzerland), Vancouver Island University, University of New Brunswick and Royal Roads University (B.C.).