LONDON, U.K.—InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the opening of its 600th IHG Academy program, having doubled the number operating globally in the past year. IHG opened over 300 programs during 2014 alone, giving almost 6,700 new IHG Academy participants the opportunity to develop the skills needed to work in the hospitality industry.
Originally launched in China in 2006, IHG Academy is a global collaboration in the hospitality industry, between IHG hotels and local education providers and community organizations. It gives participants real-world experience working in the hospitality industry and allows IHG the opportunity to develop talented people to work in its hotels. The program has continued to grow year on year and now spans almost 60 countries worldwide.
IHG’s 600th IHG Academy is situated at the Holiday Inn Express – Powless Guesthouse, near San Antonio, Texas. It is one of 10 programs formed as part of a broader strategic collaboration between U.S. non-profit organization Goodwill Industries International and IHG in North America. First announced in 2013, it complements several other relationships that IHG is developing globally to create job opportunities and improve employability in the hospitality industry. Two IHG Academy participants at the Holiday Inn Express Powless House hotel have already been offered jobs in the hotel working at the hotel’s front desk and in food and beverage.
“At IHG, we are committed to improving the local communities in which we operate and this includes giving people local to our hotels the chance to develop the skills necessary for securing a job in hospitality,” said Kate Gibson, vice president corporate responsibility at IHG. “Doubling the number of IHG Academy programs to 600 during 2014 is a powerful demonstration of this commitment and represents a big milestone for IHG as we continue to grow IHG Academy globally.”
