Finding and cultivating next generations of professionals remains a challenge for all segments of the foodservice industry. An initiative put forth by the Foodservice Consultants Society International Educational Foundation, though, aims to change that – at least for foodservice consultants.
The FCSI Educational Foundation will work in concert with Western Kentucky University to create an academic certificate program focusing to create a program that provides training relevant to an entry level position at a foodservice design firm, said Garrett Lennon, FCSI, president of the FCSI Education Foundation. Lennon is also the design principal at JLR Design Company.
“The creation of a program for foodservice consultants, created by foodservice consultants, was the dream of the founding fathers of the Foundation. Now, more than 30 years later, the dream is becoming a reality,” Lennon added.
The FCSI Education Foundation spent almost two years defining the scope of the project, working with an educational consultant to narrow the focus of the studies, identify resources available and potential educational partners, per a release announcing this development.
A task force was created within the Educational Foundation to work with WKU to develop the curriculum. Some of the items to be included in the program include:
- Various types of foodservice facilities and how they operate
- The flow of product through typical design considerations and understanding layouts of various facilities
- How to use design software to convey the design intent of foodservice areas for presentations and construction documentation
The FCSI Education Foundation hopes to have a program fully created and funded for the start of the Spring semester 2024.
