Program Goal and Outcomes
Program Goal: To prepare students for an entry-level career position in the hotel/restaurant field.
Program Outcomes:
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Understand the trends and traits of the hospitality industry
- Identify the five stages of the marketing cycle, the concept of target marketing, and how the Internet is affecting the hospitality industry
- Comprehend the processes for recruiting and interviewing prospective employees and managing employees
- Understand how to forecast hotel occupancy and revenue
- Identify how to determine staffing and scheduling of responsibilities
- Understand the executive housekeeper’s responsibilities and how current technologies affect the housekeeping department
- Understand how the engineering and maintenance departments operate the vital engineering systems, such as electricity, heating, and ventilation
- Understand the terminology and methods of hospitality accounting and the ways computers relate to hospitality accounting
- Comprehend the insurance requirements of the hotel industry and the coverages available
- Identify important state and federal laws that impact the hospitality industry
- Understand the importance and nature of the control process, including the role forecasting plays in cost control and how to perform basic forecasting steps
- Identify the elements of effective dining, restaurant, and banquet service
- Comprehend how to plan a menu that accounts for customer preference, nutrient content, wording regulations, and pricing needs
- Comprehend how to use recipes and measure properly, identify kitchen tools and equipment, and properly use flavorings and seasonings
- Determine the proper purchasing functions, the types of distribution systems and factors affecting distribution, and types of markets and market regulations
- Understand how to prevent food spoilage and eliminate food-borne illnesses
- Understand how to enforce rules for hygienic food handling and washing of dishes, utensils, and other items
- Comprehend various attitudes toward serving alcoholic beverages, including how to identify the warning signs of intoxication and the legal concerns associated with serving alcohol
Instruction Set 1
Starting Your Program
Succeed by learning how to use your Penn Foster program. Understand how to use your Student Portal. Access the Penn Foster Community and use it to find answers. Connect with Penn Foster on various social media sites.
The Hospitality Industry
Origin and history; industry profile; job opportunities.
Instruction Set 2
Marketing and Sales
Dressing professionally; building a support network; developing skills and a career portfolio.
Managing People
Theories and styles of management; motivating and communicating; planning and control; staff selection.
The Front Office
Levels of service; chain affiliation; staffing and scheduling; the guest process; forecasting; night audit.
Instruction Set 3
Housekeeping
The cleaning process; the linen room and storage; Right-to-Know.
Engineering and Maintenance
Department functions; engineering systems: electricity, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration.
Instruction Set 4
Hospitality Accounting
Terminology; accounting elements and methods; financial statements; computers.
Legal Aspects and Insurance
Legal responsibilities of personnel and guests; labor relations; insurance principles and types; selecting an insurer.
Cost Controls
Cost control for lodging and food service businesses; implementation of cost control strategies.
Instruction Set 5
Restaurant and Banquet Service
Food service set-ups; effective management; elements of dining service; banquet and buffet catering.
Menu Planning
Clientele and customer preference; types of menus and menu items; personnel and kitchen facilities; nutritional and pricing considerations; Truth-in-Menu; menu design and layout.
Food Preparation
Kitchen contents; recipes and measurement; cooking processes; kitchen tools and equipment; flavorings and seasonings; non-alcoholic beverages; presentation.
Instruction Set 6
Purchasing and Storage
Cost factors; government regulations; yield testing; purchase of perishable items; the "bidding" procedure; receiving operation; storage needs and guidelines; inventory control.
Food Service Sanitation
Bacteria; other infections and contaminants; personal hygiene; sanitary storage; cleansing and sanitation of equipment; rodent and insect control.
Alcoholic Beverages
Society and alcohol; effects of alcohol; alcohol and the law; the beverage operation; marketing beverages; controlling profit.
Work Experience Option (available online)
Learning Aid : "Food Service Sanitation" DVD |