Western North Carolina was known as “textile country” for more than a century. Today, the region has become a major tourism destination, with visitors flocking to see scenic landmarks like the Hickory Nut Gorge and Chimney Rock State Park and the filming locations for The Hunger Games and Dirty Dancing.
But while the region as a whole has successfully adopted tourism, the labor force has been slower to catch up—a situation that Isothermal Community College (ICC) in Rutherford County intends to change. The school has partnered with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute to launch a hospitality curriculum aimed at training students with longtime roots in manufacturing to become problem-solving service professionals.
Lodging operators describe the initiative as a game changer for an area that, although steeped in Southern traditions of friendliness and charm, has long needed workforce development in the hospitality arena. “Service requires a completely different way of communicating than in a manufacturing factory,” observes Patrick Bryant, events and catering department manager at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa in Rutherford County. “In the service industry, you have to know how to mitigate emotion and quickly move into action on an almost daily basis.”
Until now, there was no way for area hotels and restaurants to train workers in the soft skills of guest service except through on-the-job training, he adds. “So we’re really excited about the new hospitality program at ICC.”
The college’s curriculum is based on the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute’s START program, developed by industry professionals to teach proficiency in a range of skills, from guest relations to housekeeping to banquet services.
And what about those soft skills? ICC Vice President of Community and Workforce Education Thad Harrill is quick to note these will be emphasized just as much as formal credentials.
“Over and over, we hear from area hospitality teams that they need professionals who can work and serve people all day long, and if something goes wrong, they look a guest in the eye and say, ‘Let me take care of that for you right now,’” Harrill says. “We’re going to teach those skills, too, and also make sure that people who are naturally inclined to use them will be matched with suitable career paths.”
Harrill is referring to ICC’s hospitality assessment class, which introduces students to the different jobs—and their required personality skills—in the local hospitality and tourism markets.
Thanks to a major new equestrian resort being built in neighboring Tryon County, hundreds more of these jobs will soon need to be filled in one of the state’s fastest-growing tourism regions. North Carolina itself is one of the country’s most popular tourism states. Accordingly, ICC plans to eventually expand its hospitality program into a two-year academic degree that will make the college a premier hospitality school.
For more information on the START program, visit www.ahlei.org/Programs/Workforce-Development/START-for-Workforce-Development.
