The AHLA Foundation's Empowering Youth Program recruits young people for entry-level hotel positions, and with the help of local community-based organizations (CBOs), it nurtures and develops them with the training, tools and support that will lead to permanent careers in hospitality. The program focuses on Opportunity Youth, young adults ages 16-24 who are out of school and unemployed but have the desire and resilience to success in the workplace.
The Foundation is helping the hotel and lodging industry fill this critical labor shortage long-term by uniting with CBO partners to prepare these youth for careers in hospitality. It aims to increase post-hire retention through pre-employment skills development leading to certification, work-based experiences and wraparound support services.
For young adults, the program provides pathways to opportunity and success that will lead to lifelong employment. For employers, it will increase access to quality talent for in-demand positions and improve staff retention year after year.
To execute this work, the Foundation partnered with Grads of Life, the leading national nonprofit specializing in helping employers build talent pipelines for Opportunity Youth. The AHLA Foundation distributed grants to community-based organizations in the following markets of focus:
- Baltimore
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- Orlando
- Washington DC
Community-based organizations that are interested in additional information should contact Kelly Vazquez, kvazquez@ahla.com.
PRESS RELEASES
- HOTEL INDUSTRY FOUNDATION AWARDED $1 MILLION CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION GRANT
- MAYOR DYER JOINS HOTEL INDUSTRY TO ANNOUNCE $75,000 GRANT TO ORLANDO GROUPS TO TRAIN YOUTH FOR HOSPITALITY CAREERS
- MAYOR RAWLINGS JOINS HOTEL INDUSTRY TO ANNOUNCE GRANT TO DALLAS GROUPS TO TRAIN YOUTH FOR HOSPITALITY CAREERS
- HOTEL INDUSTRY COMMITS $75,000 GRANT FOR LA OPPORTUNITY YOUTH TRAINING
- AHLA JOINS WHITE HOUSE FOR “INVESTING IN AMERICA'S WORKFORCE"
- HOTEL INDUSTRY CELEBRATES $75,000 GRANT FOR WASHINGTON, D.C. OPPORTUNITY YOUTH TRAINING
- $500,000 YOUTH GRANT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO OPEN CAREER PATHWAYS
- AHLA ANNOUNCES BALTIMORE YOUTH GRANT
- HOTEL INDUSTRY ANNOUNCES $75,000 GRANT TO CHICAGO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
