OHF in the Workforce Development Arena

The workforce system in Oregon represents an excellent avenue for industries to grow interest and competency among their present and future employee bases. A major Oregon Hospitality Foundation (OHF) objective is to become more integrated into this system on behalf of the hospitality industry. Our goal is to connect members with programs and funding that will help strengthen their current and future labor force. As a first step in this process, we have attended events hosted with and by Oregon's nine workforce boards to learn, connect, and gather essential information about the opportunities available in that space. In addition to our continued conversations with many of the boards, OHF has shown presence at the following events:

The Rendezvous 
The Oregon Employment and Training Association (OETA) is an organization dedicated to creating leadership and training opportunities for Oregon's workforce professionals. This year at their annual conference, The Rendezvous highlighted the hospitality industry in one of their scheduled sessions. Hosted by the National Restaurant Association, this session focused on the value our industry brings to the workforce and why we should actively create hospitality workforce partnerships.
  
You Can Be a Change Agent 
Another event hosted by the OETA, You Can Be a Change Agent, was an interactive webinar focused on assisting individuals in becoming successful employees. One of the primary takeaways from this training is understanding what drives people to work based on their life circumstances and how to use this information to bolster employee outcomes. There were many illuminating lessons to be learned about how the foundation can better market hospitality jobs to the greater workforce. 

Oregon Talent Summit 
The Oregon Talent Summit is an event hosted by Oregon's Workforce Talent and Development Board. At this multi-day event, leaders from business, workforce, community-based organizations, education, and economic development convened to discuss critical workforce and education trends. Many breakout topics were discussed including the rise of AI and its impact on future jobs and the current decline of traditional 4-year post-secondary education. As OHF continuously looks for ways to support the hospitality workforce, all the information gleaned at this conference will provide powerful insight. 

Want to learn more about how to get involved with our workforce development initiatives? Contact Ella Sturdevant​. 

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