On June 11th, we celebrated the graduation of our first ever Hospitality Training class at the Jefferson Career Exploration Center! We were so excited for each of them as they received their certification in both Guestroom Attendant and Front Desk Representative positions!
Over the past 10 weeks, the students not only focused on working hard towards their certifications, but also developed a true understanding of the soft skills needed to pursue a career in their chosen field! After participating in an onsite the Job Shadowing activity, students were asked to spend some time reflecting on this experience. At this time, they were also encouraged to think about the skills they had improved upon throughout the last 10 weeks as well as personal expectations they had created for this training and for themselves. After reading each essay, it was clear that each of them felt inspired and empowered to take what they had learned and apply it to their everyday lives.
“I can honestly say that the most important thing I learned in this training was how to talk and get along with others on the worksite. I learned the importance of being respectful and not rude to others. I never really saw myself in this career path or field, but shadowing Franklin was a great way to open my eyes to something new. With that being said, yes, I do see myself as a Houseman.
This was one of the best experiences I have ever had.” –Marquell Lovines
Though the idea of this training was to prepare the students for life in the Hospitality Industry, what we found was that it became so much more than that! Each student walked away from here on Graduation Day not only feeling proud of what they had achieved, but appreciative of the opportunity they had to better themselves. We are so proud of our students and their accomplishments, and cannot wait to see what the future holds for each of them!!