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Thank you to all of our speakers and guests for a fantastic event. Please see below for our video library of events.

New Pathways & Possibilities in Hospitality Education

Hospitality education has long embraced a variety of educational approaches, including on-the-job training, apprenticeship, mentoring, and vocational training, along with associates’ and bachelors’ degree programs. With the continuing labor crisis, a variety of new methods and models are taking shape, aimed at reducing the time and cost of developing the workforce for the industry.

This conference will address questions such as:

  • What are these emerging pathways, and what new possibilities do they offer?
  • Can students and employers benefit from a more varied and connected educational pathway?
  • How can government, nonprofits and colleges work more closely together to ensure a well-prepared and motivated hospitality workforce?

Participants will hear from an exciting line-up of speakers on:

  • How training and education contribute to a more competitive hospitality workforce
  • What workforce training and higher education can learn from one another
  • The benefits of creating closer connections between workforce training and higher education
  • How hiring managers evaluate different credentials for different positions in the industry
  • Innovative approaches to reaching and preparing untapped labor markets
  • How to tap into private and public funding streams for workforce education
  • Resources for enhancing employee performance through training and education

View highlights from the event below:

KEYNOTE: Creating a More Competitive Hospitality and Tourism Workforce

Daniel Lynch, Board Chair, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and VP Local & State Government Affairs, United Airlines

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT: Kendall College Co-Op Education Pathway

Michael Krause, CHA, CHIA, MS Ed, Assistant Professor of Hospitality Management, Kendall College

PANEL DISCUSSION: What’s on the Resume for Hospitality’s Future?

Michael Jacobson, President and CEO, IHLA, Merrick Dresnin, Chief People Services Officer, Cote Hospitality, Sabine Hessel, Director of Operations, St. Regis Chicago, Santo Scavuzzo III, People Coordinator, Boka Restaurant Group

IDEA EXCHANGE: What Can Workforce Training and Higher Education Learn From Each Other?

Eddie Phillips, PhD, Provost and Senior VP, National Louis University, Paul Thompson, Chief Economic Empowerment Officer, YWCA Metro Chicago, Kristen Hodges, Exec Director of Career Dev and Placement, National Louis University

PANEL DISCUSSION: Financing Tomorrow’s Workforce Today

Matthew Bruce, Executive Director, Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance, Governor Jane Swift, President, Education at Work, Thackston Lundy, VP of Workforce Pathways, National Louis University

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT: Self-Directed Culinary Education

Javier Haro, President, Food Hero, Samantha Jones, Director of Cirriculum and Instruction, Food Hero

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT: Workforce Readiness Behind Bars

Elizabeth McWhorter, Co-Founder, Evergreen Education, Aaron Oster, Director Service and Hospitality, Evergreen Education

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT: Innovative Workforce Development Partnerships

David Faro, Senior Manager of Workforce Development, National Restaurant Association

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