Michigan Hospitality Foundation Launches Statewide Campaign to Build Talent Pipeline
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The Michigan Hospitality Foundation (MHF), formally known as the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Educational Foundation, has launched a new statewide campaign to encourage more young people to pursue careers in the state’s restaurant, hotel and tourism industries.
“The hospitality sector is key to what makes Michigan a great place to live, work and visit by contributing to the vibrancy of communities both large and small. At the same time, our industry has also been among the slowest to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association President & CEO Justin Winslow. “This uplifting campaign will help raise awareness about the excellent and fulfilling opportunities in the hospitality industry and help steer young people toward job training programs that can give them a head start on their careers.” In Michigan, hospitality is an $18 billion dollar supporting 595,000 jobs. Those jobs are also in high demand, with the industry ranking among the top 10 fastest growing sectors in the state. |
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The promotional campaign highlights the wide variety of career options in the hospitality field, the range of exciting and flexible work environments, and the creativity and entrepreneurial nature of the profession. The ads also promote the ProStart and Hotel and Tourism Management (HTM) programs available to high school and college students as a way to develop hands-on experience that prepares them for immediate opportunities in the industry.
Both ProStart and HTM combine traditional classroom learning with intensive hands-on training from experienced industry professionals. ProStart allows students to learn culinary and management skills from chefs and restaurant managers and culminates in a statewide “Iron Chef” style ProStart competition where students can earn access to scholarships and even go on to the national finals in Washington, D.C.
The HTM program is now in its second year. The curriculum allows students to learn directly from industry professionals and introduces to core segments of the food, lodging, and tourism industry, including lucrative careers in event management.
With 70 participating ProStart schools and career centers and five schools piloting the new HTM programming statewide, these programs continue to grow and offer expanded opportunities to students who are considering a future in hospitality.
Amanda Smith is the executive director of the Michigan Hospitality Foundation, which manages the ProStart and HTM programs. She explained that the ProStart and HTM curricula are a popular offering at many schools around the state that allow students direct access to job opportunities upon graduation or can be used to prepare them for a degree program.
“These programs provide access to mentors, internships, and incredible opportunities for students to gain marketable and life-long skills. The competition for top talent in this industry is fierce, so our hope is that this campaign will educate students about the diverse career options available in our industry and encourage more enrollment in and adoption of the ProStart and HTM programs,” said Smith.
The campaign is funded through a state grant as part of Michigan’s COVID-19 recovery efforts. It will run on multiple digital media channels, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and more.
Both ProStart and HTM combine traditional classroom learning with intensive hands-on training from experienced industry professionals. ProStart allows students to learn culinary and management skills from chefs and restaurant managers and culminates in a statewide “Iron Chef” style ProStart competition where students can earn access to scholarships and even go on to the national finals in Washington, D.C.
The HTM program is now in its second year. The curriculum allows students to learn directly from industry professionals and introduces to core segments of the food, lodging, and tourism industry, including lucrative careers in event management.
With 70 participating ProStart schools and career centers and five schools piloting the new HTM programming statewide, these programs continue to grow and offer expanded opportunities to students who are considering a future in hospitality.
Amanda Smith is the executive director of the Michigan Hospitality Foundation, which manages the ProStart and HTM programs. She explained that the ProStart and HTM curricula are a popular offering at many schools around the state that allow students direct access to job opportunities upon graduation or can be used to prepare them for a degree program.
“These programs provide access to mentors, internships, and incredible opportunities for students to gain marketable and life-long skills. The competition for top talent in this industry is fierce, so our hope is that this campaign will educate students about the diverse career options available in our industry and encourage more enrollment in and adoption of the ProStart and HTM programs,” said Smith.
The campaign is funded through a state grant as part of Michigan’s COVID-19 recovery efforts. It will run on multiple digital media channels, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and more.
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