MOUNT VERNON — The holiday season is an especially busy one for students in the Hospitality & Facilities Care Services program at the Knox County Career Center. They create and install holiday decorations, centerpieces and place settings for a variety of activities and special occasions. They recently turned the school’s board room into Narnia, with home-made ersatz snowmen and snow-covered trees.
Under the tutelage of instructor Robin Stacy, students in the program learn job-related skills in both classroom and lab settings as they identify and pursue hospitality careers specific to their interests and inclinations.
The students learn the difference between safety and sanitation, and practice how to deal with various emergencies and safety issues which may arise in a work area. They also rehearse the proper use of safety equipment.
When studying guest relations, the students discover how to present a professional image, with appropriate grooming and personal hygiene. They practice positive customer relations, and role-play handling customer complaints in an acceptable manner and responding appropriately to specific customer requests and needs.
Computer skills are also part of the curriculum. The students learn how to complete job applications online, how to use Word and PowerPoint programs and become proficient in using the Moodle website to complete assignments. They also learn how to produce a newsletter, faxes, resumes, labels and nametags, and become skilled in navigating the Internet.
