Country Club
Club Food and Beverage Internship
12-Month Training Program Outline

Background Information:
The Country Club has developed a training program for participants who are interested in developing skills and knowledge in the food and beverage departments of hospitality operations.  The program provides participants ongoing theoretical training while at the same time receiving practical training in the food and beverage departments.

Interns are expected to participate in all required activities and meetings, and to complete assigned training projects.  If an intern fails to participate in the required activities, their visa will be terminated and he or she will need to return home at their own expense.  Interns will receive payment for their practical training period.  The participant will receive a base pay of $8.25 per hour and can expect to be scheduled for 32 to 40 hours
per week. 

Training Objectives:
•  Develop and demonstrate knowledge through a series of training activities and structured conversations with managers providing necessary theoretical knowledge in guest service and business management as it relates to the hospitality industry.  •  Demonstrate mastery and understanding of theoretical knowledge gained through training activities, on-site guidance and training from direct supervisors through increased responsibilities and positive supervisor evaluations.

Intern Eligibility:
•  Interns must be at least 21 years old.
•  Interns must have a valid driver’s license and be willing to obtain a Virginia driver’s license within 60 days of arrival.
•  Interns must have either a round-trip air ticket or sufficient funds for return airfare to their home country.
•  Interns must apply for their J-1 visa in their home country or, if the intern has established an appropriate residency in the country in which his or her school is located, the intern may apply at the U. S. Consulate in that country. 
•  Interns must be able to demonstrate work experience in the hospitality industry or have significant educational background in the hospitality field.
•  Interns must have excellent English language skills.

Some of the participants will have opportunities to receive additional training over and above that outlined in this plan for supervisory skills.  They may also receive supervisory practical training assignments.  These assignments will be made based on proven ability, a positive attitude, performance, and availability of the training opportunity.

Training Program:

Overview
The main objectives that the intern is to achieve are to fully understand the day-to-day operations of the various departments within a hospitality setting and to learn the methods and procedures by which the departments and divisions are managed. The intern should obtain an overview of the private club organization and have an insight in how departments relate to each other. The skills developed in the private club setting are fully
transferable to fine hotel operations where every guest is a VIP.  In addition, the intern should learn new skills and technologies, by exposing them to American standards of service and management styles that differ significantly from those in their home country. Finally, through daily interaction at the training site and in the local community, the intern will gain a better understanding of American culture and society. The intern’s education and training will expose American staff to new knowledge of foreign culture and skills. Also, the training program will create an environment that promotes the open exchange of ideas between the intern and the American staff.

Naturally, when an intern is training in one department, he or she will have exposure and gain experience in all other departments that make up that division.  In the hospitality industry, by its nature, the divisions are heavily interconnected and no individual department can operate completely in isolation.

At the end of the 12-month training program, the intern will have gained significant knowledge and skills in the following areas:

a.  Business Organization and Operations (knowledge of the club’s organization and operations and their application to the hospitality industry), b.  Systems (knowledge of the club’s operating systems, including Point-of-Sale, payroll and scheduling, and billing),
c.  Teamwork (ability to function as part of a team; ability to get along with other employees and to willingly pitch in when needed), 
d.  Technical Knowledge (understanding of each food and beverage operation,  including fine, casual and seasonal dining; banquet sales and service; kitchen; purchasing), 
e.  Customer Service (understanding the relationship between providing consistently excellent customer service and the success of the business; ability to anticipate customer needs and to take action to deliver customer satisfaction),
f.  Communication Skills (ability to use appropriate language and to effectively convey meaning, both verbally and in writing,
g.  Productivity (ability to complete training assignments with a high level of quality in the appropriate time frame), and
h.  Professionalism (ability to maintain a mature and dignified demeanor).