News Release

Printer-Friendly Version

ETA News Release: [06/28/2005]
Contact Name: David James or Mike Volpe
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676 or x3984
Release Number: 05-1149-NAT

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Announces Grants Of $2.6 Million for Hospitality Industry Training

Workers in Nevada, Rhode Island and New York Will Benefit

WASHINGTON-U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced three grants totaling nearly $2.6 million to help address workforce shortages in the hospitality industry as part of the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative. Grants awarded to the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I. and LaGuardia Community College, New York, will help prepare workers for careers in an industry expected to add more than 1.6 million jobs by 2012.

"The fast-growing hospitality industry is very much in need of skilled workers," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "Thousands of workers will benefit from the outreach, English literacy and occupational skills that the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative is making possible through these grants."

The Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board received more than $1.1 million to train over 10,000 workers in partnership with the Community College of Southern Nevada, the Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association, the Nevada Hospitality Foundation and Station Resort and Casinos. The project will include an English Workplace Literacy program and the development of a curriculum that is easily replicable to serve as the standard for front-line positions in the hospitality industry.

Johnson & Wales University was awarded nearly $978,000 to build a pipeline of youth for hospitality industry careers. The university will develop an interactive career awareness program for a bilingual website to enable youth to learn more about careers in the industry. The grantee will also work with the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) to enhance the existing Showcase of Stars program, which highlights successful individuals within the industry to raise awareness among minority youth in urban areas about hospitality careers. Upgrades will enable the program to reach over 600,000 youth annually.

New York's LaGuardia Community College received a little over $494,000 to develop a new language curriculum to instruct individuals with limited skills in English and provide training in occupational skills for employment. The project will train approximately 40 individuals and establish a nationwide workgroup to advance English proficiency training and replication.

For further information on this initiative, visit www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/.

# # #