UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI - TRANSITION TO ARAMARK PROVES SUCCESSFUL FOR EMPLOYEES
In 2004, ARAMARK Higher Education was awarded the dining services contract for The University of Southern Mississippi. There was a lot of apprehension from the staff about becoming an employee of ARAMARK. The employees expressed a host of concerns ranging from job security, to seniority to the change in benefits. ARAMARK placed a team member on campus to enrich the employees and oversee the transition. Looking back the employees now consider the transition a success and feel they have been enriched from the experience.
"Change is inevitable and change is good. Change with tradition is better. Change here is for the positive simply because we not only took what we were doing that was very good, we enhanced it. Instead of saying we change it, we didn’t, we grew it, we enhanced it and we enriched it. That is a better word than change."
-Kim Busche, Catering Director, The University of Southern Mississippi
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University of Tennessee - Community partnership results in employing 12 refugees
ARAMARK Higher Education at the University of Tennessee has recently hired new employees working in the dish room who are refugees from Burundi. Their employment was a result of an ARAMARK "help wanted" ad that offered a multilingual environment for workers. Bridge Refugee Services, a non-profit volunteer group who works with refugees in East Tennessee, saw the advertisement and contacted the hiring manager.
The result was the hiring of 12 new employees who are now benefiting from on-going English language classes which are a requirement of their employment. They are also learning job specific skills such as equipment usage, food safety, how to operate cooking stations and the fundamentals of hospitality service. Having a job has helped these employees begin the road to normalcy after being witness to a war that has raged in Burundi for over a decade. Finding employment with ARAMARK Dining Services at the University of Tennessee has been a benefit to all involved.
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Loyola University Chicago - Hard work and determination paid off for Chinese immigrant
In 2007, Chen Qiuyan was referred to Loyola Dining Services through the Chinese-American Counsel of Chicago. She had recently emigrated from China and had no work experience in the United States. Chen was hired to work at the Simpson Dining salad bar. With little knowledge of the English language, Chen strived to learn from fellow employees and students, who showed great interest in helping her learn English.
With hard work and determination, Chen developed cross-functional skills by assisting other stations at Simpson Dining. With these skills and her drive for continuous improvement, Chen quickly became a highly valued employee. Her knowledge, skills and dedication to her job enabled her to be promoted to Supervisor. Today, Chen is responsible for supervisory duties at Simpson Dining. She also assists in training other Chinese-speaking employees with the hope of helping them excel and grow in their own positions within Loyola Dining Services.
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The University of Chicago - Teaching nutrition to Chicago Public School high schoolers
The University of Chicago hosted a weeklong C-CAP Nutrition Camp that offers high school students in the Chicago public schools the opportunity to be taught basic culinary skills while learning about healthy and nutritious cooking. Admission to the nutrition camp is highly selective, with about half of the participants chosen through the Junior Cooking Competition hosted during the school year. The other half gain admission through a lengthy application and interview process. Twenty of the camp participants receive a full scholarship to attend this camp funded by ARAMARK Higher Education.
Executive Chefs from ARAMARK Higher Education's Campus Dining at The University of Chicago opened up their kitchens and lent their expertise to these students while they participated in a series of lectures and labs. The camp culminated with the creation of a cookbook of nutritious recipes that were judged on the final day of camp.
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Seton Hill University - Becoming an integral part of the university culture
Seton Hill University has been a partner with ARAMARK Higher Education since 1968. The ARAMARK dining services managers at the university work tirelessly to create a dynamic team that is a part of the culture of the university and the surrounding community. When walking around campus with these individuals most students know them by name and greet them with bright, big smiles. In addition to their responsibilities of managing the dining services program they are also involved in several activities throughout the campus. This includes leading the Green Commitment initiatives for Seton Hill University by growing fresh vegetables to use in the dining services program and exploring the feasibility of producing bio-diesel fuel to power the grounds equipment. They are also active members of the Social Work Club, the Resident Assistant’s Food Training Programming, the Student Activities Council and the Battle of the Buildings. Every holiday season, the dining services team holds an event that is highly anticipated by members of the community, alumni and student population.
Outside the campus, the managers have participated in Habitat for Humanity and are co-advisors to the Make-A-Wish Foundation raising $3,500 per year to grant a wish. Whether it is supporting a worthy cause through a donation of time, product, skill or expertise, the dining services team at Seton Hill University are proud and valuable members of the campus community.
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