WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLAF) announced a formal partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps—first of its kind for Job Corps and for the hospitality industry at large—to ignite the hospitality workforce. With 130,000 open jobs in hospitality, this partnership’s engagement and retention initiatives will help fill these positions with the skilled, ready-to-work Job Corps students enrolled in hospitality and related training programs.
This collaboration will provide Job Corps students access to hotel jobs and AHLAF’s apprenticeship program—an competency-based initiative that offers pathways to becoming a lodging manager or hotel cook and includes nationally recognized credential attainment. By tapping into each other’s networks and resources, developing work-based learning opportunities, and using connections to support job placement, the two organizations will join forces to grow top talent within the industry.
“We are proud to team up with Job Corps as a platinum partner to strengthen our retention and recruitment programs,” said Sarah Cozewith, vice president of workforce development at AHLA Foundation. “With hundreds of thousands of open hotel positions, this is the perfect time for these students to enroll in the hotel industry. From training more than 1400 apprentices to providing more than $1 million in academic scholarships annually, this trailblazing partnership builds on AHLAF’s ongoing efforts to craft an industry as diverse as the guests we serve.”
“Through our work with AHLAF, we can tap into their robust employer network and put our Job Corps graduates on the path to success,” said Rachel Torres, national director of Job Corps. “Employers are increasingly looking to Job Corps as a source of talented, well-trained workers. We are all working toward the same goal as we begin this partnership together.”
With access to Job Corps’ locations nationwide, AHLAF will be able to complement its existing workforce development programs by connecting its members with graduates from hospitality, culinary, facilities maintenance, and other related Job Corps programs. With more than 200 career pathways in the industry, this partnership will allow graduates to take a job in an industry that provides opportunities to advance and grow their career.
