Courtesy Warren County (2021)
Warren County has launched a training program to prepare local residents for work in the hospitality industry, especially if the coronavirus pandemic keeps the federal government from reopening the J1 visa program for international student workers, local officials say.
Called PUSH, or the Pathways Up for Success in Hospitality, the program is partly an online, on-your-own system of training courses that is tied into the A2D program run by the Lake George Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The free online courses, offered through the Metrix platform, cover professionalism, customer service, communication, problem solving, teamwork and time management, a press release about the program says. Trainees also participate in the three-hour class, "Arrival 2 Departure (A2D)," offered by the Lake George CVB. Currently virtual, that class will resume in-person soon, the press release says. A final step brings the trainees to local businesses for on-site visits.
Successful students will receive certification of completion and put them in line for hospitality jobs in the area.
The goal of the program is to certify and place 200 people into retail, food service and lodging jobs through the program this year, said Liza Ochsendorf, the director of Warren County Employment and Training. She has been leading the creation of this program.
Businesses can partner with the county and have quick access to the workers who have completed the training.
“It speeds up the process for them,” and saves time on recruiting, Ochsendorf said.
The J1 Visa program, which allows foreign college students to work in the United States in the summer, was put on hold before last summer began and might not open in time for the summer season this year. This stranded many area businesses without enough workers last year.
About 1,000 J1 workers come to the area, Ochsendorf said.
The PUSH training is part of the longer-term plan not only to replace J1 workers with local talent if needed, but to move the region into a four-season tourism destination, under a plan informally called Tourism 365. For this, the region must also produce a stable of workers who can fill the roles, officials said.
“[It] is a cultural shift that we know won’t happen over one night or one year,” Ochsendorf said. “Ultimately this is a long term program to fill hospitality jobs all year.”
A group of local business owners and county officials began to meet last year looking at these issues, officials have said. Among them is Frank Dittrich who owns The Inn at Erlowest in the Town of Lake George and, with his family, a number of tourist destinations in Lake George Village.
“For some [trainees], we hope that it will provide them with a pathway to completing high school and considering college education opportunities at SUNY Adirondack or elsewhere, and possibly a solid reason to stay in the Lake George Area after graduation,” Frank Dittrich wrote in an email.
SUNY Adirondack has a certificate program in hospitality, and the PUSH program may be able to feed into it, Ochsendorf said.
“We are excited about this new training opportunity because not only does it help businesses fill open positions with qualified candidates, but it also provides exposure to all of the wonderful career possibilities within the field of hospitality,” Kathryn Flacke Muncil, CEO of The Fort William Henry Corporation said in a statement.
To enroll as a free PUSH training participant, contact Andrea Kinderman, Employment & Training Coordinator, at kindermana@warrencountyny.gov or by calling 518-824-8870.
Businesses who wish to become a PUSH Partner or want to learn more about the PUSH Program, contact Warren County Director of Employment & Training, Liza Ochsendorf, at ochsendorfl@warrencountyny.gov or 518-824-8865.