Hotel Training
Free hotel industry training program starts Feb. 1
For anyone interested in jumpstarting a career in the hospitality industry, Holyoke Community College is running a free, six-week hotel training program starting Feb. 1.
The hands-on, in-person classes for hotel front desk workers and hotel room attendants will take place in HCC's hotel training lab on the second floor of the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute on Race Street in downtown Holyoke.
The program runs on Tuesday and Thursdays, Feb. 1 through March 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
The course will provide students with up-to-date knowledge of the hotel industry, hands-on experience for front desk and/or room attendant roles, workplace skills, resume building, interviewing, job search assistance, and connections to local employers.
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HCC's hotel lab was equipped using $35,000 from a 2019 Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant, which funds purchases for educational initiatives linked to workforce needs.The lab is a classroom set up like a hotel reception area with front desk and adjoining guest room and equipped with industry-level technology and software.
"Hospitality is a key industry in our region," said Jeff Hayden, HCC vice president of Business and Community Services. "The hotel lab gives students the ability to learn in a model hotel room and reception lobby, gain knowledge about key card access systems, and understand point-of-sale technology. This is the kind of experiential training employers have been asking for."
No high school diploma or GED/HiSET test is required for admission.
Offered as part of HCC's Business & Workforce Development division, the hotel training course is free to qualifying applicants.
For more information, please contact Laura Smith, HCC job placement assistant and career development counselor, at lsmith@hcc.edu / 413.552.2833
PHOTOS: HCC's Hotel Training Lab is located on the second floor of the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute on Race Street in Holyoke.
