76 high school students get hands-on experience during Hospitality Skills Camps
Posted on Tuesday, March 28th, 2017
Academic Partnerships welcomed 76 students, from the Ottawa Carleton District and the Upper Canada District School Boards, to participate in two back-to-back Hospitality Skills Camps on February 21-24.
From the camps, 98.5 per cent of students who participated agree that they would recommend the Hospitality Skills Camp to other students.
The camp is open to Grade 9 and 10 high school students and provides an opportunity to explore careers and educational programs in hospitality and the culinary arts, as well as learn about the educational requirements to enter into these fields.
“It’s s great chance to see what the hospitality field looks like, which getting a preview of college life at the same time,” said a student participant.
The camp provides hands-on exposure to cooking, baking and serving as part of an introduction to the hospitality field.
“Knowing how to prepare food is an invaluable skill,” said a participant. “For students who are interested in the culinary fields, it’s a good beginning to understand what working in a restaurant is like.”
Students participate in a two-day opportunity with one day dedicated to the kitchen/baking labs and one day dedicated to the Restaurant International – which is the learning restaurant lab.
Students in the kitchen learned about relevant food preparation, food safety, preparation techniques and menu planning.
“I enjoyed working in the kitchens. I liked learning the proper way to use a knife,” said a participant, “it’s a lot of fun cooking and making ‘mocktails.’”
Students had the opportunity to participate in both the kitchen/baking labs. Students learned in Restaurant International about the food service/hospitality industry, customer service skills, dining room etiquette/set-up and identify skills related to these.
A lot of the students wished that the camp could have been longer, although the camp “did cover a lot in just two days.” Twenty-nine out of 34 students agree that the skills camp helped them gain real experience in the kitchen.
“I had a lot of fun, met and worked with great people and learned a lot,” said a student, “it helps you choose your pathway.”
Academic Partnerships would like to thank our Pathway Builders, the staff and students of the School of Hospitality and Tourism, for partnering on the event.
About Academic Partnerships:
Pathway Building since 2006. Academic Partnerships works with a comprehensive network of Pathway Builders (community, educational and government stakeholders) to create and deliver on a variety of experiential opportunities to be a college student through hands-on, curriculum-driven experiences for Pathway Explorers (students in grade 7 – 12). With a commitment to the dream development and pathway finding for students prior to starting full-time studies the team has programming at Algonquin College’s three Ontario Campuses: Ottawa, Pembroke, and Perth. For more information visit: algonquincollege.com/ap
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