Workforce & Education
OHLA Education & Workforce initiatives are a collaborative effort bringing together lodging industry leaders, educators, and tourism partners in order to address evolving workforce issues, anticipating future needs, & adequately preparing the future of lodging professionals.
Scholarships & Education
Educator and Student Membership
Interested in membership with OHLA as an educator or a student? Please contact Cindy Sams at cindy@ohla.org for information. A NEW Membership program will be available for the 2022-2023 membership year!
OHLA Scholarship Opportunities
The OHLA Education & Training Fund (ETF) is designed to help finance the continuing education of hospitality industry employees who wish to further themselves in the performance of their duties. The OHLA ETF will offer to support 50% of the class cost in a matching program with your property or other source (up to $500 per F/T employee, per year). Newly added benefit for P/T employees with a minimum of 20 hrs/wk, up to $250 per year.These programs can be college or technical school hospitality related courses/seminars. Other sources will be considered as long as the program will benefit the employee in their job. Exclusions: General Managers, Owners and Independent Contractors.
Applications are reviewed quarterly before OHLA Board of Trustees Meetings.
To apply for a scholarship please complete fillable form and submit. Ask your GM to send their approval online.
You may also print and return a completed OHLA Scholarship Application, and a General Managers written recommendation to the Education and Training Fund Committee, Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association, 175 S. Third St. Suite 170, Columbus OH 43215.
Download the OHLA Education & Training Fund Application and Eligibility Guidelines.
Donate to the OHLA Education & Training Fund
The opportunity for you to make a difference in someone's education and training awaits you on this website.
Colleges and Technical Career Centers Offering Hospitality & Tourism Management Courses
| OHIO AREA | HOSPITALITY & TOURISM MANAGEMENT MAJORS |
| NORTHEAST | Youngstown State University, Youngstown |
| Kent State, Ashtabula | |
| Kent State, Kent (Main Campus) | |
| Tri-C Community College, Cleveland | |
| Lorain County Community College | |
| NORTH CENTRAL/NORTHWEST | |
| Bowling Green State University, Main Campus, Bowling Green | |
| Bowling Green State University, RAM Program-Cedar Fair, Sandusky | |
| University of Northwestern Ohio, Lima | |
| Owens Community College | |
| SOUTHWEST | |
| Workforce Development Center (WDC) at Cincinnati State, Cincinnati | |
| Sinclair Community College, Dayton | |
| Central State University, Dayton | |
| CENTRAL | |
| The Ohio State University, Columbus | |
| Columbus State Community College, Columbus | |
| SOUTHEAST | |
| Hocking College | |
| Ohio University | |
Educational Materials & Resources
Resources in Education
Student Testimonials Waiver Form
OHLA wants your help to capture student testimonials telling us how much they like their courses in Hospitality & Tourism Management and why they got into this focus of education. A VERY BRIEF VIDEO IS A GREAT WAY TO SHOW THEIR ENTHUSIASM!
To cover any liability, we created the Student Testimonial Waiver they can sign and send to us with their message. We will use the student voices on social media and other marketing materials, like our NEW Hospitality Industry Brochure!
OHLA MEMBERS receive 25% off Training Products!
It is our pleasure to offer Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association members special pricing on products from the Educational Institute, the “training arm” of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The Educational Institute provides industry-tested, research-driven, hospitality training programs using the Internet, videos, textbooks, interactive CD-ROMs, seminars and Professional Certification to train all levels of hospitality personnel. EI also specializes in producing custom programs based on your specific training needs.
As a member of Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association, you can receive 25% off Educational Institute products; this does not include Professional Certification, and/or Seminars, and cannot be combined with other discounts or offers.
>> Click Here to download the Educational Institute Order Form <<
For more information, please contact the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute at www.ahlei.org or
Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association
175 South Third Street, Suite 170
Columbus, OH 43215
PHONE #: (614) 461-6462
Guest Service Gold®
Guest Service Gold® is a comprehensive program designed to accomplish the goal of creating guest service-oriented line-level employees who know how to engage with their guests in order to provide memorable guest service.
Core components include training, employee certification and property certification. Guest Service Gold® features a choice between TWO separate courses, Guest Service Gold®: Making Connections and the NEW Guest Service Gold®: Golden Opportunities. Each option features seven different guest service elements presented through real stories that are designed to motivate and inspire your staff to ‘Go for the Gold’ when it comes to providing service that goes above and beyond what is expected.
Ask OHLA about Student Rates!
The Certified Tourism Ambassador CTA Program
The Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) Program is an industry-recognized national certification that aligns the destination’s people infrastructure – its stakeholder businesses and front-line – to increase tourism by Enhancing the Visitor Experience. With over 15,000 current CTAs, the program drives visitor spending through in-depth knowledge of the destination ‘product’; gives destinations a competitive advantage; and ensures consistent delivery of a positive destination brand experience. In today’s consumer-driven worlds, savvy destinations realize the important of CTA.
Become an Ambassador of your city today!
Scholarships are available for OHLA members. OHLA programming counts for 5-10 activity points towards your renewal.
Training for Intervention ProcedureS (TIPS)
TIPS is the global leader in education and training for the responsible service, sale, and consumption of alcohol. Proven effective by third-party studies, TIPS is a skills-based training program that is designed to prevent intoxication, underage drinking, and drunk driving.
OHLA Members receive a $5 discount on the eTIPS course, an online certification course and exam. (The standard rate is $40.)
OHLA Members receive a $50 discount on the TIPS Train-the-Trainer Workshops which includes the student video, instructor's guide and access to an online tool that allows trainers to track all of their TIPS activity. To become a TIPS Trainer, you must successfully complete a two-day, train-the-trainer workshop. We offer 30 workshops across the country each month. To locate and register for a workshop in your region, members can go to http://www.gettips.com/TIPS-trainer-workshops.html. (The standard fee is $499 per person)
To access the OHLA member discount, please click here: TIPS.
Labor & Staffing Resources
The Inaugural Future of Lodging Summit - 9/22/2022
The Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association held the first education & workforce summit for Hoteliers, Educators, Students and Hospitality Partners in September 2022. The Education & Workforce Development Committee began working on this idea after the 2021 annual conference.
How the Summit was born:
- NOVEMBER 2021 Let’s Talk Labor: Attracting Top Talent to our Industry 2021 This Top Session created a buzz
- DECEMBER 2021 Gretchen sent email and a draft of her ideas,
within a week the Committee was creating Survey Questions
- Mid-January 2022 survey questions completed
- Early-February to Mid -March surveys sent to Hoteliers, Tourism Partners, Educators
- Presented to the Board of Trustees the initial concept and preliminary budget February 24, 2022
- Date set for 9/22/2022
- April 6, at the OHLA offices, First In-Person Meeting! We reviewed the survey responses placing them into focus groups; secured the location at Columbus State Community College
- May-August -Gathering ideas; suggestions; input; research; defining topics; asking the best presenters for our topics; many call and in-person meetings
How the Summit succeeded:
The Future of Lodging Summit succeeded in its goal with an attendance of 120 interested attendees in the hospitality industry’s education & workforce issues of our current times and looking to the future of the industry. A mix of sessions, panels and presenters, including several HANDS-ON Activities helped the audience say what was needed by each sector of attendees
Where will it Go?
The Education & Workforce Development Committee has created an ACTION PLAN of ideas that you can immediately adopt at your property, no matter what size, no matter what day. The results were presented at OHLA's 2022 Annual Conference & Gala.
Click here for the full summary & action steps.
The Future of Lodging Summit 2023 is in the works! Stay tuned.
The Future of Lodging Summit - Cincinnati 10/11/2023
Cincinnati's 2023 Future of Lodging Summit was a one-day collaborative event in which hoteliers, educators, students, travel & tourism partners, and more came together to discuss current needs and upcoming issues of the hospitality industry workforce.
The 2023 Future of Lodging Summit included three interactive work sessions for attendees:
Work Session #1 - Flexibility is Essential
During this industry panel, we explored a new perspective on workforce flexibility.
Work Session #2 - Ladder Steps to Advancement
Featured discussions regarding supportive ways to enter and work through growth in your career.
Work Session #3 - Infusing Tech into the Lodging Industry
The final work session incorporated an interactive presentation presented by Thornton May that discussed the impact of technology in three areas where the hospitality industry is experiencing challenges: guest experience, workforce development/employee retention, and cyber security.
Click here to view the full summary.
Speakers Included:
| Lisa Compton-Martin, Senior Vice President of People Operations, Pyramid Hotel Group. | |
| Micah Stampf, General Manager, Marriott at the University of Dayton. | |
| Denise Bayless, General Manager. The Summit Hotel. | |
| Alan Hardway, Vice President of Operations, SJB Management. | |
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Monika Lindsay, Regional Director of Operations, Image Hotel Management. |
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Thornton A. May, Founder, Futurist & Executive Director, The Digital Value Institute. |
Hiring Best Practices
Wages -
- Be transparent on pay upfront
- Show the pros/cons of working here vs. Amazon (not focus on wage only)
- Pay increases and sign on bonuses based on length of employment and performance
Benefits -
- 401k plans, health insurance plans
- Pay increases after a specific time period
- Promotion opportunities based on performance, training etc.
Recruitment -
- Use social media platforms first - better response rate
- Keep constant communication with potential candidate and sell them on the hotel position / environment
- Use college groups, senior group center etc. to recruit candidates
- Referral programs w/ bonuses tied
- Videos to promote the hotel environment and testimonials from current associates
Scheduling -
- Use candidly or some calendar invite platform for potential candidates to interview
- Conduct in person interview days on weekdays / weekends (have snacks / drinks)
How can you use labor differently?
- Thinking differently about scheduling…
- Consider adjusting Shift Start Times to allow greater flexibility
- Team member may have potential for other part-time work
- May allow for parents to arrange for daycare or school
- Ask what works best for the needs of the team member
- Consider adjusting schedules to accommodate 10-hour shifts
- Allows team member to work 4-day and earn full-time hours
- Allows for some overlap during peak times without requiring
- Consider sharing staff with another local hotel
- Connect with other hotels for potential sharing of staff (depending on role)
- Maybe they have someone that wants more hours; but can’t grant overtime
- Maybe you have someone that wants more hours; but can’t grant overtime
- Obviously, this requires trust to avoid poaching it Works both ways…ways to build trust…trust portal (agreement)
- Consider adjusting Shift Start Times to allow greater flexibility
- Cross training…
- Add opportunities for growth and personal development
- Allows for cross-utilization amongst staff to fill shifts without adding dedicated headcount (i.e., a room attendant working in breakfast)
- Biggest opportunity may be using multiple tactical initiatives that overlap to help drive performance. For example…
- Hiring a Night Auditor to work a 10 or 11-hour shift to cover Night Audit, then staying later to work breakfast.
- Having Front Desk shift start at 7a, work until 2p on the Front Desk, then inspect rooms until 5p.
- Sharing one part-time Night Auditor with another hotel in order to give the team member full-time hours.
Recruitment Tips & Best Practices
- Creative job descriptions
- Are your job postings just sharing a copy of the job description?
- Create and lead with Culture Statements to help build excitement around the company, brand, or workplace.
- Are job descriptions too focused on the “what” or “how” versus the “results”?
- Help potential employees understand what success looks like and allow them to become part of the story
- Are your goals too selfish?
- Proactively answer the “What’s in it for me” question from the lens of an applicant.
- Are your job titles boring?
- Become creative with job titles; make them fun; make them universally aligned with goals or results-driven objectives (i.e., “Director of Repeat Business”)
- Are your job postings just sharing a copy of the job description?
- Temporary Labor
- Consider working with Upshift as a different type of “temp labor”
- Build an organic Video Library to share with potential candidates:
- “Day in the Life”
- “Thank you for your interest…”
- “Welcome to the team…”
- Some job platforms allow you to add media, so include these videos or pictures to make it more intriguing just like we do with our reservation sites to attract guests.
- Use social media to welcome new team members and share your excitement to have them. Tag them in the post or encourage them to share it themselves in order to build engagement and visibility within their network (might help you find other good hires)
- Solicit others on the team that may be more social media savvy
- Testimonials of current employees
- Involve team members in the interview process
- Offer Referral Bonuses or incentives
- Share testimonials from guests recognizing other team members to demonstrate what great behavior looks like
- Create a mentorship program assigning more tenured team members with a recent New Hire (offer an extra incentive, if possible)
- If possible, consider offering a “working interview” where an applicant works side-by-side with another team member as a trial to see how things fit. If it doesn’t work out, then simply offer a stipe-end for their time and avoid having to put them on payroll. If it does work out, then include those hours on their paycheck.
- Follow up through social media
- Use social media to welcome new team members and share your excitement to have them. Tag them in the post or encourage them to share it themselves in order to build engagement and visibility within their network (might help you find other good hires)
- Solicit others on the team that may be more social media savvy
- Touchpoints after Likely the biggest challenge and creates the greatest opportunity.
- Create a trace for timely follow-up throughout the interview and hiring process
- Refine the communication…does it align well with your culture and the messaging that was shared during the interview stage?
- Flip the script on follow-up…are you waiting for them to send a “thank you”? If so, remember that they are also interviewing you and have alternative options than working with you. Consider sending the first message and thanking them.
- Sharing the “Employee Experience”
- Are you providing tours during all your interviews?
- Are you including others in the interview process, especially other team members currently in the role?
- Are you consolidating interviews to avoid multiple meetings to discuss the opportunity?
- Are you mindful of the candidate, how they are feeling, how they are perceiving the conversation?
- Does the experience feel warm and welcoming…and complement that type of culture you expect the team to present your guests? (i.e., offer them a drink, etc.)
- Personal needs to be employed (transportation, childcare, schedule)
- Personal interests (vacation spots, baseball, soccer)? buy tickets?
- Uncover and discover any personal needs and motivation during interview
- Would it help to offer a transportation pass? Parking? Flexible schedule?
- Inquire about any scheduling requests that might help “seal the deal” (i.e., would it help to guarantee a certain Holiday off if they agreed to be open to all others; can you offer their Birthday off as an extra perk)
- Have you looked at Personality Assessments to identify those that might best align with the roles being filled?
- Use personal preference to create incentives that might not be monetary
- Uncover and discover any personal needs and motivation during interview
What are the obstacles keeping people from being employed?
The question answered: What challenges are you having related to recruitment activities and retention of candidates hired?
The x-axis is percent of respondents. Respondents were able to check all that apply.
What are non-hospitality companies doing to attract employees?
Trends from other industries include:
- Higher Hourly Wages - $15 - $25 entry level. White Castle at $15, Fulfillment $18 - $25.
- Sign on bonus $200 - $4000 - Wendys - Hard Rock Casino
- Quarterly bonus for perfect attendance $250 - Evenflo
- Flexible shifts
- Weekly instead of B-Weekly pay
- Accelerated Hiring Processes
- Free Large Pizza for showing to the Interview - Donatos
- Childcare credits
- Clear Training Paths to generate higher Pay.
- On the job meal discounts or free meals
Other examples of incentives we are currently seeing are -
- Amazon paying for Bachelors degree program after 90 days of employment. Employees working as few as 20 hours per week are eligible but only for 50% of paid college expenses. Career progression is the new minimum wage.
- US Postal services – Speed to Hire: applicants will be offered jobs within a half-hour of applying. Seasonal workers will receive more and larger bonuses.
- Michaels Crafts: flexible hours, 30% discount on store products, making sure seasonal workers have an opportunity to be hired on permanently
- Walmart, Chipotle and Amazon improving tuition and training programs and include term “career advancement” in job postings
- Party City – flexible hours, increased wages and 30% discount on store products
- Many companies are working to Improve employee experience, enhancing health and well-being benefits, increasing workplace flexibility, hiring and retention bonuses, interviews and employment offers on the spot, childcare assistance, unlimited PTO
- Many companies are also broadening their criteria for suitable candidates that they can train and upskill
Which Non-Profit organizations work with OHLA to assist in training for hotel employees?
| The Education Institute offers education materials beginning with the START and HTML for high schools, industry credentials, such as Guest Service Gold, and certification training resources. New 2nd of Hospitality & Tourism Management textbook and e-book is available now. | |
| Offering Elevate, which includes the New Hospitality Hiring Portal in partnership with HCareers. Connects Hotel Employers with Skilled Job Seekers and training centers in their area. Scholarship and Apprenticeship programs are available. Scholarship and Apprenticeship opportunities. | |
| Greater Cincinnati -- Covers an area of nine counties in Southwestern Ohio. Contacting hotels in the region to partner in offering positions to individuals with disability, Veterans, transition youth and social-economic challenged/poverty. Pilot with approximately 6 properties, 5-10 individuals per property, work with outlying areas. | |
| Programs are meant for a long-term employment structure, with a genuine emphasis on getting the applicant out of the poverty level. Spoke to Cincinnati Lodging Council on July 22, have an appt with Renaissance Hotel. Will work with people to remove barriers, long-term coaching in position. | |
| OHLA is forming a partnership with Goodwill Columbus to start with a group of Columbus downtown hotels to place clients and have their staff follow through on the job with that person. | |
| Fair Chance is a division of Honest Jobs that finds the “right” position for their clients. They are offering OHLA members a 20% discount on their two-tiered plan, Basic-one job posting at a time and Premium-post all jobs at your property. | |
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Members are encouraged to post open positions on this statewide site. Agencies have their trainees look here for jobs. |
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| Sinclair College, Dayton, OH region, offers the Hospitality Management major and also has a Citizens Re-entering the Workforce program with Ohio prisons. Also works with the Office of Enterprise Development for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. | |
| Godman Guild wishes to expand their services to the Lodging Industry. Calls have built a relationship and understanding of each other’s needs. They currently work with Healthcare and other industries. |
