Students to get lesson in hospitality

The Coeur d’Alene Resort and Lakeland School District are launching a two-year hospitality class that will introduce students to careers in Idaho’s third largest industry.

Between 15 and 20 juniors and seniors will be accepted into the program, which begins next fall. Students will spend two class periods per day, five days per week, at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. They’ll follow a curriculum put out by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, meet regularly with resort managers, and take field trips to other tourism businesses.

“It’s a totally different experience than a summer job, which is how a lot of people first experience our industry,” said Bill Reagan, manager of the Coeur d’Alene Resort. “There’s more to this operation than making beds, serving dinner and picking the dishes off the table.”

The first year of the program introduces students to accounting, sales and marketing, front desk operations and grounds keeping. Reading The Wall Street Journal is part of the curriculum. The second year focuses on worksite learning, such as event planning and catering.

The class is an elective for students. By completing the two-year program, however, the students will earn credits that can transfer into hospitality management programs at North Idaho College, Washington State University or Lewis-Clark State College.

On Thursday, officials from the resort and the school district signed the official paperwork for the program. Lakeland students Michelle McCullough and Taylor Davis attended the brief ceremony at the resort. Both plan to apply for the program.

“The Coeur d’Alene Resort is a huge part of the Coeur d’Alene economy,” said Davis, a sophomore, who’s considering a career in tourism management.

McCullough, a junior, said she wants to learn more about the behind-the-scenes operation at the landmark hotel, though it may not result in a career in the hospitality industry.

The program is modeled after a school-to-work program in Florida.

Brad Murray, director of professional/technical education for five North Idaho school districts, hopes to see similar programs in other industries.

From nursing to manufacturing, many industries are facing worker shortages, Murray said, and looking for ways to recruit new people.