APPRENTICESHIPS THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY EDUCATION By Alina Day
The cost of labor is a primary concern of the hospitality industry year after year, and we know you are looking for a new and creative solution to that rising cost. Apprenticeship programs could be that solution. What is an apprenticeship? An apprenticeship combines classroom instruction with onthe-job training to create job-ready employees and increase the skills of current ones. After thousands of hours of career-connected learning, apprentices complete their program and receive an industry18 │ wahospitality.org
recognized certification. This model not only helps you recruit and train new highly skilled workers, but also retain them. “Hospitality has a deep history of providing on-the-job training. Most managers and professionals in the industry started as entry-level employees and gained their skill sets by working alongside mentors,” David Faro, director of the Education Foundation said. “Careerconnected learning has been the foundation of hospitality training and education for as long as I have been part of the industry.” Apprenticeships increase business performance by reducing employee turnover, which means lower training costs and more profit.
