Vanderbilt Campus Dining recently conducted its annual Culinary Academy skills training course for dining staff in partnership with Nashville State Community College. In its second year of operation, this enrichment course offered a cohort of 20 Campus Dining employees a robust curriculum of culinary skills, including theories and methods of basic knife skills, development of safe and sanitary kitchen practices and safe food handling techniques.
Led by Nashville State Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts Mary Lou Tate, the course offered participants a chance to further their skills, equipping them to deliver a best-in-class dining experience to Vanderbilt students. The two-week training event, held at the Commons Dining Center in late May, provided more than 20 hours of practical skills and classroom instruction.
“Our commitment to staff training and development has never been stronger, and we’re proud to continue making investments in our frontline team members,” said Aaron Dilts, chef of culinary excellence for Vanderbilt Campus Dining. “Everyone, from our staff to our managers to our students, benefits from the Culinary Academy.”
Vanderbilt’s partnership with Nashville State is part of a multifaceted approach that Campus Dining is taking to close the gap on hiring and retaining a skilled workforce in Nashville’s competitive hospitality industry. For more information about Campus Dining, visit campusdining.vanderbilt.edu.