219 | Train and Retain: Hospitality apprenticeship fills high-level jobs

It’s no secret the hospitality industry in America is in dire need of skilled employees. Many hotel owners and operators continually seek ways to attract and keep talent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the hospitality industry has a turnover rate of nearly 75 percent per year, compared to a healthy rate of 10 to 15 percent.

Turnover costs money, not only in lost productivity, but also in the company’s investment in each worker … and the cost to train a replacement.

The greater the job responsibility, the higher the cost of replacement – from about $3,000 for an entry-level employee to $8,000 for a manager, reports Daily Pay.

In a search for ways to train and retain hospitality leaders, companies have turned to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Last year, a group of hotel management businesses and the association’s educational foundation teamed up to create a lodging manager apprenticeship program.

Several hundred apprentices signed on to learn the different aspects of running a hotel through hands-on training, online courses and one-to-one mentorship.

In this episode, we hear from Rosanna Maietta, president of the American Hotel Lodging Educational Foundation, and apprentice Daniel Ovichegan, who came to the U.S. from Mumbai, India, to pursue his dream career in hospitality.

Resources and Links

• Daniel Ovichegan
• NewcrestImage
• Rosanna Maietta
• American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF)