NU offers career training for high school dropouts,
out-of-school youth

by Joshua Maloni
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, June 30, 2007

Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Niagara County Workforce Investment Board, the Niagara University Hospitality Training and Research Center is offering workforce development training to area youth. Out-of-school students – high school dropouts or graduates – can apply to receive classroom training, hands-on workshops and a paid internship in the tourism (hotel, restaurant and retail) industry.

“We have a pulse on the industry. They say the same thing: they’re looking for help; they’re looking for quality help,” says Michael Jeswald, a training manager with the NU Hospitality Training and Research Center, and a 25-year member of the service industry. “(We want to) teach kids what it takes to succeed.”

In the course packet, it states the goal of the program is to “help establish (a) career ladder for individuals and to obtain short and long term goals” for Niagara County youth, ages 17-21, who come from a low-income home, are foster children, young parents or criminal offenders seeking a second chance.

Though the application process is involved – students will be required to meet course criteria, complete an essay and written application, and come in for an interview – Jeswald says “it’s going to pay off huge” for participants.

Four classes will be offered – starting in July and continuing through June 2008. There is currently no set schedule, but Jeswald hopes the first session will begin in a few weeks. He expects two sessions will be offered this fall, and one in March 2008.

The curriculum will consist of two weeks of classroom training at a location central to those students selected to partake in the program. There, students will learn to develop a career ladder and works on their communication, customer service and etiquette skills. That will be followed by three weeks of paid internship at a participating venue. Sites on board include the Crowne Plaza and Four Points by Sheraton hotels in Niagara Falls; the Holiday Inn in Lockport; and NU Hospitality Services.

The last member on that list is significant, Jeswald says, in that, “We’re training these kids on campus and we’re providing them with jobs.”

During the internship, students will receive employment counseling and mentoring. Following that three-week period, the apprentices will reconvene to review the course, and receive financial guidance.

“Then, our expectation is that they’ll be hired on a full-time basis at the venue, if there is an opening,” Jeswald says.

Of course, the tourism industry in Niagara County is largely seasonal. For those students who may be temporarily laid off, Jeswald says they can receive job transfer support. Namely, the Hospitality Training and Research Center will work to find retail jobs for those without a paycheck. County malls will be the prime targets in re-employing students.

Jeswald says the ideal scenario would be for students to earn their GED or high school diploma, take part in the workforce development program, and then enroll at NU.

“ That would be the ideal story,” he says.

Though its focus is primarily on the tourism industry, the career training course is not limited to students interested in that line of work.

“The skills that you learn in the service industry can apply to any field,” Jeswald says.

Those interested in applying to the NU program should call the Hospitality Training and Research Center at 205-0072. In the short term, applications will be mailed out. Jeswald says the application will be available online in coming weeks.

For more information, visit www.niagara.edu/hospitalitytraining.