A new agreement between The Culinary Institute of Canada and the Delta Prince Edward will give first-year students in the Hotel and Restaurant Management program the opportunity to work in the banquet department of the hotel to gain experience while working toward their required internship hours.

In addition to gaining valuable workplace experience, Delta's management staff will provide the students with performance evaluation after each shift that they work, helping them to develop their professional and personal skills.

Chef Austin Clement, program manager for The Culinary Institute of Canada said the partnership is unique.

"This partnership provides not only relevant employable skills for our students, but the added value of an individualized performance review after each shift. This provides an opportunity to complete the link between what is taught in the classroom and applied in the work environment. It also provides a tremendous networking opportunity for our students with a major hotel chain," he said.

Students from the program have been working some of the larger events at the Delta over the past few months, including a staff Christmas party, the Lebanese New Year celebration, and a corporate reception.

Additionally, when 10 or more students are required for an event, the Delta Prince Edward will make a donation to the program, which will be placed in a fund for the students' second year study tour.

"This is of tremendous value to the students, and provides us with an opportunity to raise funds that will enrich the experience on their annual educational study tour," said Hotel and Restaurant Management instructor Gary Torraville.

Mark Gregory, executive chef/food and beverage manager for the Delta Prince Edward said the agreement will benefit the hotel, as well.

"The Delta Prince Edward is delighted as this is the first agreement of its kind with Holland College and it really is a formalized version of what has been happening with the Culinary Arts students for the past several years. This program will give the Delta Prince Edward a great opportunity to partner with one of the best hospitality schools in the country and provide a platform for the students to enhance their skills."

The Hotel and Restaurant Management program provides a comprehensive blend of practical and theoretical courses driven by industry. The program's performance-based training is increasingly recognized as vital to promoting the standards of excellence required in today's business world. Graduates of Hotel and Restaurant Management will have a broad base of management and technical skills which enable them to immediately be productive in the workplace.

In this picture: Hotel and Restaurant Management student Kaitlyn Brenton joins Delta Prince Edward general manager Zubair Siddiqi, Hotel and Restaurant Management instructor Gary Torraville, and fellow student Garrick MacLean as they celebrate the signing of a new agreement between Holland College and the Delta Prince Edward.