Restaurant Management
As the country, high school students are preparing to be the hospitality industry’s professionals of tomorrow. You can be part of the effort. Support the Hospitality Business Alliance, a vibrant partnership of educators, restaurateurs and hoteliers that is providing a head start to hospitality management careers through school-to-career (STC) training for motivated high school students.
The Service Sector is the most rapidly growing part of the American economy, and the $460 billion hospitality segment already represents one-seventh of the nation’s GDP and 12 million jobs. It’s estimated that, by 2010, foodservice operations alone will need more than 100,000 new managers annually to keep pace with growth. Further, hospitality businesses have unique traditions-of promoting within and of fostering entrepreneurship-that provide enormous advancement opportunities for well-trained individuals.
The HBA is a partnership founded by the educational arms of the National Restaurant Association and the American Hotel & Motel Association. Industry leaders have joined with the NRA and AH&MA to build a national network of school-to-career programs for America’s high school students. HBA programs meet national standards, and give high school juniors and seniors classroom and on-the-job training with local foodservice and lodging operations. The programs introduce carefully selected students to the professional and business disciplines required for success in the hospitality industry and, also, to the vast potential that a hospitality career offers.
Starting salaries of most Restaurant Management graduates range between $13,000 and $24,000 per year, depending upon job location and individual competence.
The outlook for Restaurant Management service industry is high and offers more rewarding careers than ever before. Students will be able to work on a certificate from North Arkansas College in Restaurant Management and may also receive a National Recognized Certificate from Hospitality Business Alliance (HBA) and the National Restaurant Association. A student will be completing the ProStart curriculum and courses from North Arkansas College.
The HBA ProStart School-to-Career Initiative is an educational program of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) that creates a nationwide system of high school restaurant and foodservice courses linked with mentored worksite experiences. The HBA/ProStart School-to-Career Initiative is comprised of state-driven hospitality partnerships throughout the country, and it exists as the national umbrella organization for restaurant and foodservice school-to-career activities. Currently, close to 28,000 high school students at 811 schools in 39 states are enrolled in the program. In addition, 2,397 students have taken part in a 400-hour internship within the hospitality industry.
School-to-career is a significant educational reform strategy linking coursework with workplace experiences. Through school-to-career programs, secondary school students learn business skills in the classroom; become acquainted with career opportunities at career workshops and on field trips; and gain practical experience during on-site, hands-on internships at local restaurants and hospitality worksites.