WORKFORCE

ORLAEF partners with the industry to provide workforce solutions.

Hospitality management professions are expected to grow 5–8% in the next decade. In Oregon, the hospitality industry is a $9.2 billion industry, directly generating some 91,100 jobs and indirectly creating another 41,000 jobs. As a result, 1 of 9 jobs in Oregon is in the hospitality industry. As hospitality careers expand, the industry is in need of well-trained, highly knowledgeable and skilled professionals. ORLA and its Education Foundation support educational opportunities and job training programs that help ensure the vitality of one of Oregon’s largest economic drivers - the hospitality industry.
Hospitality Training & Certification
  • Professional Certifications: The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) continues to meet the needs of the industry with a variety of hospitality solutions, including online learning, professional certifications, and resources for high schools, colleges, and workforce agencies. Use their training programs and distance learning platforms for your hotel staff certification and training. As a nonprofit subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Educational Institute offers a savings of 20-40% on all AHLEI resources to members of AH&LA. For more information on EI’s training solutions, visit AHLEI’s website. 
  • Training on the Oregon Coast: ORLA’s Education Foundation and the Oregon Coast Visitor’s Association, in partnership with OSU’s Extension Service, are excited to launch courses featuring internationally-accredited certifications for both hotel and restaurant employees as well as two state-mandated trainings for  food handler and alcohol server permits. Workshops are available this spring in Lincoln County and Coos County. Employees can enroll in the entire series of six workshops or in the specific course(s) they need. For more information go to bit.ly/TourismOSUSchedule.
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High School Career & Technical Education (CTE) Training
Graduates of the two year Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP) program can earn their Certified Hospitality and Tourism Management Professional (CHTMP) certification, which provides a base for other accredited and internationally recognized stackable certifications for the industry. Detailed information about this CTE curriculum can be found here. Key elements of the program include:
  • Teaches employability skills and job-specific technical skills for the Hospitality & Tourism Career Cluster
  • Aligns to the Common Core State Standards
  • Leads to advanced placement in college through articulation agreements 
  • Includes work-based learning experiences with an industry internship
  • Offers an International Competition for students to showcase their skills and earn scholarship opportunities
 
Instructors often come from the industry and/or are certified as Business and Marketing cluster educators. A professional certification for teachers is also offered from AHLEI.

Post-Secondary Four-Year Degree Programs
OSU-Cascades in Bend provides students with the skills and knowledge to become leaders and innovators in the hospitality industry. Classes are offered in business and operations management, food and beverage operations, technology, entrepreneurship. In addition to core curriculum, the program provides a specialization in ecotourism and sustainability.

Job Programs and Fairs
  • INCIGHT and JobsNow offer exceptional, high-energy employment programs for job seekers and employers. Their mission is “Unlocking the Potential of People.” INCIGHT promotes inclusion and collaborates with businesses to connect talented candidates with employers interested in diversifying their workforce. Their job seekers pursue employment opportunities that offer growth and sustainability. For more info on Job Fairs in the Northwest, visit JobsNow.org.
  • New Avenues for Youth - Promoting Avenues to Employment (PAVE) offers job training, occupational skills training, internships, and other employment and education-related opportunities. ​Connect with youth seeking job placement. 
  • ORLAEF is expanding interaction with workforce boards via proactive involvement such as Portland’s Youth Opportunity Job Fair.

Apprenticeships
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) a $1.8 million contract to develop the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) – the first-ever apprenticeship program specifically for the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industries. More information on the program can be found by visiting ChooseRestaurants.org/apprenticeship and AHLA.com/apprenticeship.
Want help determining if any of these programs are a good fit for your training needs and goals? Contact Wendy Popkin, Executive Director, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Education Foundation, 971.224.1505.
Looking for best practices in workforce retention?
ORLAEF commissioned OSU's Hospitality Program to conduct research to identify and highlight Oregon companies with innovative practices resulting in improved employee retention. Watch now:
View the series at: OregonRLA.org/WorkforcePractices
RESOURCES

- AHLEI Training & Certification 
​- Guest Service Gold
- Hospitality Workforce Training (Coast)
- ProStart Student & Educator Resources
- Podcast: ORLAEF and ProStart
​- Lodging Career Pathways
​- Lodging Apprenticeship Program
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WORKFORCE RESEARCH & DATA

- Hospitality Industry Labor Shortage (OSU)
- Infographic: An Industry of Opportunity
- Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained in Automation
​- Millennials in the Hotel Industry (AHLA/WageWatch)
- Next Generation of Restaurant Leaders
- US Restaurant Workforce
- Workforce Best Practices
TRAINING & EVENTS