Local partnership offers hospitality industry training

BANGOR – The Greater Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau and The Maine Highlands have teamed up with Eastern Maine Community College and the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board to develop a three-part training series for individuals who work in the hospitality industry.

The training session will use materials developed by the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute, which sets standards for the hospitality industry worldwide.

The training materials are designed by industry professionals to teach the basic required skills in all front line positions related to lodging and food and beverage.

As was reported in the winter issue of Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Marketing Review, the Peoples Republic of China is using the same institute materials, translated into Mandarin, to certify and train more than 100,000 employees in 300,000 hotels and approximately 3.8 million restaurants.

More than two years ago, Donna Fichtner, executive director of the Greater Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau, began developing the program in response to frustration expressed by area hospitality managers about keeping good employees, the need to raise line-level skills, the lack of regional awareness among line-level employees and the necessity of developing better customer service skills.

The program is especially designed to use institute materials, as well as regionally specific programming.

The program was launched Feb. 17. The first three sessions, for front desk employees, for housekeepers, and for restaurant servers, reportedly, have been very successful.

“The enthusiastic response that we have received from hospitality workers with experience ranging from one to fifteen years is gratifying. All participants have said that they have learned a lot and have gone back to their properties excited to share that knowledge with their peers and the public. It is this kind of excitement that we feel will rapidly spread throughout the state to help make Maine one of the most hospitable states in the nation. By next year, we hope to offer the program to all regions of Maine,” said Fichtner, who instructs the program.

To learn more about the training session, call 947-5205.