Business

Hotel Group Launches New Job-Recruiting Initiative

The American Hotel & Lodging Association's Hospitality is Working campaign will support the recruitment and placement of Opportunity Youth---16 to 24-year-olds who are out of both school and the workforce---in the hospitality industry.

In the midst of a tight job market, the hotel industry wants to ensure its members have a battle-tested worker pipeline.

Last week, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced the Hospitality is Working campaign that aims to work with what it calls “Opportunity Youth”—a population sector of young adults, ages 16 to 24, who aren’t in school or in the workforce. The goal? To train, certify, and place 8,000 young workers in facilities in need of the help.

The campaign, announced at the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting, will be funded through $500,000 in grants from AHLA’s foundation and will support recruitment efforts in six cities—Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Washington, DC.

In a news release, Rosanna Maietta, who heads the AHLA Educational Foundation and serves as the association’s vice president of communications, said that the campaign reflects an effort to better invest in its communities, specifically portions that are underserved by traditional recruitment strategies.

“Our commitment to investing in the next generation is stronger than ever,” Maietta said. “And along with AHLA’s members, we are focused on advancing our mission to bridge the employment gap and make our communities even more vibrant.”

It’s one of many efforts AHLA has made in recent years to invest in hospitality employment, including through apprenticeship programs, scholarships, and other initiatives, and protect the industry’s 8 million employees nationwide. Last year, the association also announced the 5-Star Promise, a pledge to provide hotel employees with safety devices and commit to enhanced policies, trainings, and resources aimed at enhancing safety.

“When you’re in the business of helping people, that starts with investing in your own,” Maietta said.

(jacoblund/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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