Event Details:

DATE: September 12, 2022 - September 16, 2022

TIME: 9am-5pm

LOCATION: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 

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Drexel University has developed a hospitality training program which brings Drexel’s faculty, external corporate partners, and industry experts under one custom training initiative to support, train, and upskill individuals seeking careers in the hospitality and food service industry.

The program will:

• Create career readiness leading to sustainable career pathways for Greater Philadelphia hospitality professionals
• Empower hospitality workers to attain financial security through hospitality industry employment
• Provide career advancement through earned custom training program certification
• Open a direct pipeline to Philadelphia hospitality employers and restaurant groups.

The Drexel Hospitality Workforce Training Program merges in-class learning, real-world experience, and continuous mentorship with industry partners and employers.

Throughout this immersive week-long program, student trainees will engage in a holistic, interactive, and experiential instructional learning environment grounded in mentorship, including instructor-led sessions, group work, role play, pair work, and various media designed to best equip trainees with the knowledge and skills for a seamless transition into the workforce.

Following custom training program certification, trainees will successfully be able to:

• Have a deeper understanding of the hospitality sector including typical front- and back-of-house positions and major components of guest services including process, guest management, service transactions, and conflict resolution.
• Identify and understand food and hospitality hygiene protocols and how to best prevent contamination.
• Be able to develop short- and long-term personal career goals within the hospitality industry.

The Drexel Hospitality Workforce Training Program provides the opportunity for individuals interested in careers within the hospitality sector to be paid while they learn their craft. Employee trainees will receive mentorship, training opportunities, and will be recognized and incentivized by their employers to bolster retention efforts and employee empowerment, further building a workplace culture of mutual respect and appreciation and generating a mutually beneficial relationship for both the hospitality industry and its workforce.

Click Here to Self-Register 

Click Here to Register Your Employees

Featured Faculty Include:

Jonathan Deutsch
Program Director, Food Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Jonathan Deutsch, PhD, CHE, CRC, is professor in the Departments of Food and Hospitality Management and Nutrition Sciences at Drexel University and a certified hospitality educator.

Before moving to Drexel, Deutsch built the culinary arts program at Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York (CUNY) and the PhD concentration in food studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and School of Public Health.

At Drexel, he is the founding director of the Drexel Food Lab, a culinary innovation and food product research and development lab focused on solving real world food system problems in the areas of sustainability, health promotion and access.

He was the James Beard Foundation Impact Fellow, leading a national curriculum effort on food waste reduction for chefs and culinary educators and was named a Food Waste Warrior by Foodtank.

He is the author or editor of eight books including Barbecue: A Global History (with Megan Elias), Culinary Improvisation, and Gastropolis: Food and Culture in New York City (with Annie Hauck-Lawson) and numerous articles in journals of food studies, public health and hospitality education.

Deutsch earned his PhD in Food Studies and Food Management from New York University, his culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America, and is a proud alumnus of Drexel University.

Clara Park
Lead Instructor

Clara Park is a culinary development chef as well as a former champion on Food Network’s hit show “Chopped.” She also serves as head of the chef’s advisory council for C-CAP Philadelphia.

Chef Park attended the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC and has cooked at prestigious restaurants in San Francisco, Napa Valley, Philadelphia, New York City, and Loire Valley, France. She also worked with Barbara Kafka to write The Intolerant Gourmet: Glorious Food with Gluten or Lactose, penned hundreds of restaurant reviews and chef interviews, and developed recipes for Campbell’s Soup, Swanson, Tabasco, and upwave.com, ultimately being co-nominated for a James Beard Award in 2014 for Best Cooking Video.

Website: www.claraparkcooks.com, twitter: @claraparkcooks

Paul O'Neill
Faculty

Paul O’Neill is an assistant clinical professor at the Center for Food and Hospitality Management. Professor O’Neill first joined the center in 2013 as an adjunct instructor and was pleased to accept a full-time role as Director of Special Projects the following year. During his time as director, he had the opportunity to coordinate and manage many of the center’s events and cultivate industry relationships. His 25 years of industry experience afforded him the opportunity to navigate his new position with wide-ranging skills and resources.

Prior to joining the Center for Food and Hospitality Management, Professor O’Neill held various roles in the foodservice industry as a pastry cook, baker, chef, culinary arts instructor, and as front-of-house personnel: the latter leading to a position within the James Beard-nominated Vetri family of restaurants.

In 2017, Professor O’Neill accepted a full-time position as Assistant Clinical Professor within the Hospitality Management department. His area of concentration includes beverage studies and front-of-house service. 

Drexel Hospitality Workforce Training Program Flyer [Download PNG]

For questions, please contact Mandy Dollar, Director of Corporate Relations with the Drexel Solutions Institute at ard42@drexel.edu