The hospitality industry is traditionally one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and a place where many workers find their first job. For many, it can be a step towards a life-long career. Employers are looking for ways to train workers with the critical skills necessary for success, offer an accelerated pathway to climb the career ladder, and reduce employee turnover. Registered Apprenticeship is a proven solution for recruiting, training, and retaining world-class hospitality talent in good, quality jobs. In 2023, there were 5,642 registered apprentices served in the hospitality industry, an 8 percent increase over the past five years.
"As a business of people serving people, the hotel industry thrives because our people are at the core of the industry. We proudly invest in the women and men who are the backbone of the hospitality industry and ensure they have the training, skills and resources necessary to earn promotions and climb the ladder from entry level to management, upper management, senior executives and on to the C-Suite."
Joori Jeon, Executive Vice President and CFO, American Hotel & Lodging Association
High-Demand Apprenticeship Occupations
Competency-Based Occupational Frameworks
In collaboration with the Urban Institute, we offer national frameworks for occupations in this industry that are consensus based, meaning they are drafted in cooperation with employers, educators, and other workforce and training experts. Employers and businesses can use these frameworks to fast-track the development of their registered apprenticeships. The frameworks are competency based rather than time based, meaning that abilities are emphasized over memorized knowledge or skills. The result is high-quality, competency-based occupational frameworks (CBOFs) that are freely available for all to use. CBOFs are available for the following occupations:
Hospitality Industry Resources
- Hospitality Industry Factsheet
- NRAEF’s Introduction to Apprenticeship Toolkit webinar
- American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation
- National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)
- Hospitality Industry Competency Models
For more resources, program examples, and marketing materials, go to the Hospitality Community of Practice page.
Hospitality-Related Industry Intermediary
As partners of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Office of Apprenticeship (OA), Registered Apprenticeship Industry Intermediaries are integral stakeholders in the effort to expand the number of Registered Apprenticeship opportunities across industries throughout the U.S. These partners increase awareness through industry outreach, connect employers and labor organizations with workforce and education partners, and provide technical assistance to launch and expand Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs. Apprenticeship Industry Intermediaries are also tasked with helping apprenticeship sponsors refine recruiting, hiring, and retention strategies to increase Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) in Registered Apprenticeship programs.
To learn more about the Hospitality-related Industry Intermediary, view the fact sheet below:
Hospitality Industry in Action
Devin explains why a pre-apprenticeship in the hospitality industry was the right choice for her.
Victoria shares how a Registered Apprenticeship in the hospitality industry improved her future.
Hospitality Highlights
- National Hospitality Workers Appreciation Day (February 23)
- National Hotel Employee Day (September 1)
Recognitions
Read through more Office of Apprenticeship recognized celebrations linked below!
Find an Event
Filter by "Hospitality" through the link below to find an event near you!