Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

HR 109 is for third-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 and HR 108

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced 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 advanced 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 three or more jobs in various food production areas.
• Use effective interviewing skills.
• Gather and/or prepare a working resume and cover letter.

Students receive 25 hours per week of hands-on training in the PCC food-services cafeteria.  They train with skillful 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 budgeting, preparing pre-employment material (resume, cover letter, letters of recommendations, filling out application), and interviewing skills.  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 portion is graded on class participation, assignment, 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.
• Specific hard skills necessary for multiple training areas in a large-scale cafeteria.
• Techniques for effective interviewing.
• Gather and prepare pre-employment materials to present themselves as viable candidates in the workplace.
• Techniques for professionalism, social skills, attitude, work habits, and workplace behaviors and appropriate in a large-scale cafeteria job setting
• Active interaction with kitchen and cafeteria workers, including but not limited to prepared food clerks, prep cooks, freight clerk, manager, dishwasher, bakery cook, and head cook, as arranged by the instructor.
• Independence with tasks in a large-scale cafeteria.