QCC launches new Dietary Management certificate in Marlborough

“I’m very excited about this partnership between Quinsigamond Community College and the City of Marlborough. For Marlborough, this collaboration will result in an incredible meals program at our Senior Center. For the students at QCC, it means they will get important, real world experience and on the job training,” said Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant.

QCC is offering a new certificate in Hospitality & Dietary Management for the spring semester. The program will provide students with hands-on experience to allow them to jump start their career in just one year. It will be held at the Marlborough Senior Center, with classes on-site as well as instruction in food preparation and menu planning. Registration is underway for the program.

“There is a real need for food service workers,” said Patricia Hutchinson, Hospitality Program Coordinator at QCC. “Whether in schools, restaurants, hospitals, hotels or senior centers, it is a career in high demand. This will provide an authentic experience for our students.”

Ms. Hutchinson has been involved in the Hospitality and Restaurant Management Program at the Worcester Senior Center for 15 years, which includes Bobby M’s Diner.

In Marlborough, it will be a set monthly menu for lunch Monday through Friday, and there are plans to provide continental breakfast. She said they also will provide catering for meetings and events, so students will gain experience in planning menus, budgeting and staffing.

A new senior center opened in Marlborough in March 2015, adjacent to Ward Park. The senior population in town was outgrowing the space available, and the previous center had only a small kitchen. The new center has a professional-grade kitchen, and offers a billiards room, exercise room, computer lab and craft room.

According to Patricia Pope, Executive Director of the Marlborough Council on Aging and the Senior Center, the center was almost a $7 million project. She said when the planning stages first began a few years ago, town officials toured other senior centers, including Worcester’s center. “I said then it would be great to get QCC involved,” she said. “They do a fabulous job in Worcester and are an asset to the senior center.”

“As Mayor, I have encouraged City Departments to partner with organizations and institutions to provide better services to our residents,” Mayor Vigeant said. “I appreciate QCC’s interest in starting this partnership and their commitment to working with Marlborough.”

The program will assist graduates in preparing to enter the field and meet the requirements for professional certification through the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. Upon completion of this one-year educational program, graduates will be eligible for certification, immediate employment and/or continuing education in the fast-growing field of dietary management.