Work Based Learning

Work Based Learning

from faxternship.blogspot.com

Shared by you

This past week I've been shadowing the Executive Chef, Marc Mora for Levy Restaurants at the I/W Tennis Gardens. Levy is owned by Compass Group, a foodservice industry provider. Levy has contracts at arenas and sports complexes all over the world to provide all of the food for any kind of event held at these venues. They are exceptional caterers and do it on a huge scale. I have 12 junior and senior students hired on as part-time help for the BNP Paribas and they are getting the experience of a lifetime. Marc has brought me in to see the tent city erected, equipped and as of yesterday, if full operation. I've been present for his pre-shift meetings with the staff, met with the Are Region Executive Chef for Levy and am learning to do recipe costing according to economies of scale. I've really had an opportunity to experience both front and back of the house operations up close and personal, during very busy circumstances.This externship program has afforded me the opportunity to really think about asking the questions that will matter as I move my culinary arts program at La Quinta High closer to an accurate portrayal of real-life foodservice operations. I'm also going to be working with General MAnager Gordon Poster at an event being catered by Sherman's Deli and the working with a couple of professional chefs to organize a fundraising dinner featuring the dishes which earned my students Second Place in the California state Boyd's Coffee Cup culinary competition this past weekend in Sacramento. I am finding the pre-visit questions to be very helpful in preparing to go out to the facilities and glean as much as possible from the pros. I'm looking forward to the next field visit and just hope I have enough time to do and see all of the interesting components before our time is up in April. I'm finding that even the post-visit debrief journaling is bringing to light some great ideas for lesson plans. The effect the program is having on me will really be reflected in a variety of areas of my current class curriculum.