Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

HR 108 is for second-term students in the Culinary Assistant Program. It is a progressive course that builds on the skills and knowledge that students have acquired from HR 107. 

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Demonstrate intermediate level soft skills in the area of professionalism, social skills, work habits, and workplace behaviors as appropriate in a large-scale cafeteria kitchen job setting.
• Apply intermediate level skills effectively during hands-on training, as they pertain to various jobs within a large-scale cafeteria kitchen (food safety, on-the-job safety, teamwork, communication with staff and customers, and food preparation and packaging).
• Train and interact efficiently with food service personnel to perform two or more jobs in various food production areas.

Students receive 25 hours per week of hands-on training in the PCC food-services cafeteria.  They train with food-service staff in different cafeteria work areas. Program coordinator selects one or more job-training areas out of the following choices:

• Food preparation (hot food, salad, bakery, sandwich, pizza, wraps, bento/Asian food, and sushi).
• Food packaging and labeling (sandwiches, wraps, sushi, and vegetable dishes)
• Serving of food.
• Shipping and receiving, & store-keeping.
• Food, drink, and paper product stocking
• Dish-washing and quality control of equipment and utensils.

Students spend five hours per week in classroom activities around time management, listening skills (including accepting constructive criticism), common workplace communication, business etiquette, and resolving workplace conflict, and goal setting.  This course includes role-playing, lectures, videos, small & large group discussions, and hands-on activities. 

Assessment is based on 4 areas:

1. Attendance & punctuality
2. Work-related skills and habits.
3. Workplace behaviors.
4. Classroom activities and assignments.

Attendance and punctuality that reflect students’ attitude and professionalism are recorded and counted. The student's work-related skills, habits and teamwork, as well as their employability and workplace behaviors are evaluated by the staff trainers, co-workers and the program coordinator. Classroom activities are graded primarily on class participation, in-class assignments, tests and examinations.

Includes all or most of the following:

• Various topics and current issues related to food and work safety will be discussed and analyzed.
• Business etiquette and how it is applied in the workplace.
• Identifying personal and professional goal setting.
• Specific hard skills necessary in a large-scale cafeteria.
• Job-success/soft skills necessary for employment retention.
• Understand the importance of professionalism, positive attitude and work ethics.
• Work-related communication and resolving workplace communication, including accepting constructive criticism, importance of being an active listener, and asking for assistance when needed.
• Semi-independence with tasks in large-scale cafeteria.