GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR - Appendix A: Organization Profiles
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GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Appendix A: Organization Profiles By Nilanj Desai January 2021 GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 1
About the Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN) The Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN) is a multi-stakeholder initiative committed to creating place-based systems shifts for youth economic opportunity. Launched in 2018, GOYN is hosted by the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions. GOYN works to improve economic mobility for “Opportunity Youth” — young people aged 15-29 who are not in education, training, or employment, or who are working in informal jobs. Our approach works in communities around the world with local “Anchor Partners” who tie together local stakeholders from multiple sectors into a “collaborative.” GOYN collaboratives systematically identify the range of local challenges preventing youth from better accessing opportunity in a given place and work together on participatory solution design with an emphasis on equity, systems-level change, amplifying the voices of youth, and increasing the scale of promising existing initiatives. As of the end of 2020, GOYN collaboratives have been established in Bogota, Colombia; eThekwini (Durban), South Africa; Mombasa, Kenya; São Paulo, Brazil; and Pune City and Ramgarh District, India. Additionally, new GOYN collaboratives will be launched in 2021 in Mexico and Senegal. www.goyn.org For all inquiries, please contact: The Aspen Institute 2300 N Street NW Eighth Floor Washington, DC 20037 Phone: (202) 736-5800 Fax: (202) 467-0790 Copyright © by The Aspen Institute Published in the United States of America in 2020 by The Aspen Institute All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America
Appendix A. Organizational Profiles: Connecting OY to T&T
This appendix accompanies the main body of GOYN’s report on “Global Opportunity Youth in the Travel & Tourism (T&T)
Sector.” It profiles a selection of organizations with innovative models and approaches helping to address various challenges
outlined in section 4 of the report that are hindering more OY from connecting to opportunities in the T&T sector.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Akilah Institute 1
Aspen Forum for Community Solutions 3
Bridges from School to Work 5
Education For Employment (EFE) 7
Global Travel & Tourism Partnership 9
Grads of Life 11
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator 13
International Youth Foundation (IYF) 15
Low Season Traveller 17
Migraflix 19
Sustainable Hospitality Alliance 21
YouthBuild International 23
The profiles in this appendix highlight merely a small sample of impactful, responsive, and/or high-potential existing approaches that were
mentioned by interviewees or prevalent in our research. Numerous dedicated organizations and people around the world are working to help
young people break barriers to T&T opportunities, and this appendix is not intended to be exhaustive.
These and other innovative models show that systemic challenges to youth opportunity can be addressed in diverse ways, by diverse kinds of
actors. What has not been done thus far is significantly scaling what works, and coordinating related and complementary approaches at scale in a
given place to ensure that OY receive all – not just some – of the support they need to access opportunities in T&T.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page i
A.1. Akilah Institute
Region of Focus: Africa
About Akilah Institute Akilah’s mission is to educate future female leaders with a market-
The Akilah Institute is a non-profit higher education institution driven approach: Akilah analyzes skills gaps in Rwanda’s current
for women in Kigali, Rwanda, which opened in 2010. Akilah was and future labor market, links that to youth in need of skills and
founded in response to the Rwandan Government’s progressive employment, and adapts or builds curricula to help its students
vision for a knowledge-based economy rooted in service sector build those skills. This helps Akilah ensure its curricula are current
industries, including hospitality, ecotourism, and conservation. and relevant, so that its students can graduate ready to assume
At the time, Rwanda’s education sector and workforce were not only first jobs, but leadership roles in growing local industries.
struggling; fewer than 1% of Rwandans were enrolled in higher
education and only 30% of these were women. In response, Akilah Since 2010, more than 1,000 young women have graduated
Institute was the country’s first college for female leaders, with an with the academic, professional, and leadership skills to launch
initial focus on preparing women for work in the T&T sector. and advance their careers across a diversity of industries. The
majority of them are from rural areas and the first in their families
Today, Akilah is an award-winning college with accredited, to attend college. 86% of Akilah alumnae are employed within six
competency-based diploma programs in Travel and Tourism months of graduating, 33% of graduates have received at least
Management, Information Systems, and Business Management one promotion in position or salary since graduating, and 31% are
and Entrepreneurship. Importantly, Akilah is a unique and in supervisory roles. Most importantly, Akilah has enabled women
nurturing environment for young female leaders to gain the to help their families and communities, with 81% of graduates
confidence, skills, and knowledge to transform their families, supporting at least one individual or family member financially.
communities, and society.
Very high applicant demand led to the launch of Davis College in
2019, a co-ed higher education institution which expands access
Our culture doesn’t encourage ladies to of the unique academic model to young men who also seek to
speak in front of people. We are told to become East Africa’s future leaders. Davis College was carefully
behave, especially in front of men. At designed with a focus on affordability and access to create
educational and economic opportunities for young people who
Akilah, I learned that I should speak up,
wouldn’t otherwise have them.
that I can inspire others by sharing my
experiences. Public speaking was my Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T
favorite class. Prior to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the hospitality industry
Solange Dukunde, Class of 2012; People,Talent, and Culture in Rwanda was rapidly growing. With visitors able to see Rwanda’s
Officer, African Institute for Mathematical Science gorillas, volcanoes, and even have a “Big Five” safari experience,
local, regional, and international hotels proliferated across the
country over the past ten years. The Rwandan government
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 1
sought to further boost tourism and business potential with received on-the-job training at Marriott hotels in the Middle
a change of its national language in 2008 from French to East. 23 Akilah graduates were then hired to staff the new hotel
English. Accordingly, Akilah sought to meet this demand with upon its opening in 2016. In the years that followed, Marriott
its comprehensive English-based diploma program in Travel and has continued to provide philanthropic support to Akilah. As
Tourism Management (HTM). of 2020, Marriott employs more than 40 Akilah graduates in
Africa and the Middle East, and Akilah continues to work with
Akilah’s Diploma in HTM Marriott to position its graduates for supervisory positions at the
Akilah’s core offering for young women seeking to enter the Kigali property. Marriott representatives in turn have lauded the
T&T sector is its two-year diploma in HTM. It begins with a professionalism of Akilah graduates.
seven-week bridge program designed to equip students
with the English language and technical skills that are the
foundation for success at Akilah. Then, students receive a broad We continue to work with Akilah
introduction to the T&T sector. This is followed by introductory graduates because they are confident,
but comprehensive courses on “Food & Beverage,” “Hotel & proactive, smart, good at English, fast
Lodging,” and the “Tourist Experience“ to help students learn
learners, engaging, and have excellent
about the core revenue drivers of T&T. Next, courses covering
customer care and service build foundational knowledge on
communication skills.
Yulia Bogdonova, HR Director,
how to cater to tourists and guests. Advanced courses then give
Kigali Marriott Hotel
students an understanding of additional nuances of the sector
such as front office operations, sales and marketing, MICE, and
cultural tourism. The Kigali Marriott, like many T&T properties in Rwanda and
around the world, faced difficulties and a forced closure in early
Instruction is done with industry-standard tools and software 2020, which resulted in the layoff of many staff members.
to ensure that the classroom experience mimics what can be However, upon the property’s reopening in late 2020, Akilah
expected on the job. Students are able to rehearse concepts graduates at the hotel were among the first to be recalled to
they learn at Akilah’s “Hospitality Lab,” which includes a true- their jobs due to their professionalism and skill set.
to-life hotel room, restaurant, and bar. Classroom education
is bolstered by a requirement for hands-on practice, which
students meet in several ways including involvement in the I have been working at Kigali Marriott
planning of on-campus events, being ushers at major events Hotel since 2018 but when the hotel
such as YouthConnekt Africa, and staffing events at Kigali closed due to COVID-19, I lost my job.
embassies. Students are also required to complete a three-
It was so challenging but I had to be
month internship in the private sector prior to graduation. With
these experiences, Akilah helps its graduates become not only
persistent and be optimistic that one
employable, but poised for career advancement and positions of day, things will be better. I am glad that
responsibility. when the Kigali Marriott opened again, I
was called to come back and serve in my
Akilah graduates have leveraged their HTM diplomas into entry- role. It was a great chance because I am
level and supervisory roles at numerous Rwanda T&T employers, very aware that the hotel industry was hit
including Gorilla Hotels, Rwanda Events Group, 1000 Hills
Distillery, African Beads Safari, Bourbon Coffee Rwanda,
hard by the pandemic and that resulted in
Bunyonyi Safari Resort, City Blue Hotels, Kigali Convention many hoteliers losing their jobs.
Center, and Serena Hotels. Alice Ingabire, Class of 2017; Team Member,
Kigali Marriott Hotel
Partnership With Marriott
In 2012, Akilah began a long-term partnership with Marriott
International. As part of plans to open the Kigali Marriott, the
first Marriott hotel in sub-Saharan Africa, Akilah graduates
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 2
A.2. Aspen Forum for Community Solutions
FORUM FOR
COMMUNITY
SOLUTIONS
Region of Focus: United States; Highlighted T&T Activities in New Orleans
About AFCS Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T
The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions (AFCS) The importance of T&T to the city of New Orleans cannot be
is hosted at the Aspen Institute and was launched in 2012 understated. Following the decline of its oil-based economy
following the recommendations of the White House Council in the 1980s, the city reinvented itself with tourism as a major
on Community Solutions, which called for innovative, place- revenue and jobs driver – New Orleans welcomes over 18 million
based, collaborative solutions to reconnect the 6 million domestic and foreign tourists each year. The city’s T&T sector
opportunity youth in the United States at that time. AFCS sought to attract young talent by reducing barriers to entry
hosts the Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF), a network of over relative to other industries, offering jobs to young people with
45 place-based OY collaboratives spread across the United limited educational credentials or work experience, varied entry
States in rural, tribal, and urban communities. Together, about points based on educational attainment, and more on-the-job
25% of all opportunity youth in the U.S. live in and around OYF training for entry-level employees.
communities, which reach from Seattle to Atlanta, from Hopi to
Greenville, and from Southern Maine to San Francisco. Nevertheless, OY still face numerous challenges to accessing
and advancing in T&T opportunities as outlined in this report.
AFCS supports OYF collaboratives to scale initiatives for better Through the Pathways to Career Fund, AFCS worked with OYF
outcomes in education and employment for opportunity youth, partners in New Orleans to fund enhancements to ongoing
with an emphasis on creating systems-wide and community programs and launch pilots with themes such as skilling and
level changes. One example of this is the Pathways to Careers awareness-raising of T&T to OY, linking young people to both
Fund, funded by a number of Aspen Institute partners. The fund large T&T brands and individual businesses, and providing post-
supports new models that effectively align employer demand hire wraparound supports.
with OY, building on and advancing the systems coordination
work already underway in OYF communities. An initial round of Raising OY and Employer Awareness – Urban League of
the Fund funded 15 diverse projects in five cities. This includes Louisiana, in partnership with employer partners including
New Orleans, which saw a second round of investments and the Intercontinental Hotel, engaged former OY to develop a
a third round of rapid response grants to training providers in curriculum to raise OY awareness about opportunities in the
2020 to support COVID-19 adaptation. Grantees participated sector, teach basic workforce readiness skills, and give guidance
in a national community of practice and peer learning facilitated on how to enter and advance within T&T. The program also
by AFCS. connected with a number of employer partners to advocate
for OY and provide a better understanding of how to better
help OY candidates and employees navigate and overcome
barriers to workplace success.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 3
Direct Skilling for T&T Jobs – Several New Orleans non- were open to creating career pathways into management roles
profits operate restaurants or catering services that employ within their organizations. Selected young adults interviewed
OY who have been disconnected due to criminal records or for jobs at these locations while Liberty’s Kitchen structured
educational barriers. Café Reconcile is one example. Facing convenings, summits, and check-ins with the employers and
challenges due to COVID-19, support from a rapid response participants to maintain positive momentum.
grant from the Pathways to Careers Fund helped Reconcile
safely adapt and sustain its signature 8-week training program
with a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on You can’t come here
work experience at the café itself. The program teaches life and say ‘I didn’t grow.’
skills, foundational T&T skills, and also digital and financial Nadja, Liberty’s Kitchen, Class of 2015
literacy skills, and provides important wraparound services such
as stipends, meals, uniforms, and employment counseling.
Graduates then can apply for a longer internship with Café Hands-On Skilling for the Restaurant Industry – The Youth
Reconcile or seek employment with one of Reconcile’s Empowerment Project (YEP) partnered with Link Restaurant
employment partners. Further, Reconcile supports its Group (LRG) on a soft skills, training, and work experience
graduates without high school diplomas to pursue the HiSET program for OY via six-week externships at three of LRG’s
and also offers scholarships to a local community college for downtown restaurants. Training covered specific T&T issues
continued education. including direct customer service, event planning, sales,
and administration, while hands-on work saw participants
rotate between the differently-themed restaurants and
What y’all do very well is you push all learn responsibilities including food preparation, serving, and
the students who come here to make catering. Participants received honorariums during their
them actually want to do something programs, and managers provided coaching, mentorship, and
with themselves. To stay active, to keep encouragement to help participants better understand how
busy, to actually at the end of the day they can both work and advance in T&T.
see what they can do in life. And not T&T Opportunities Beyond Hotels & Restaurants – The
always feel like ‘well you’re gonna be the Trombone Shorty Foundation, founded by local musician Troy
next statistic’, or ‘you’re not anything.’ “Trombone Shorty” Andrews in 2013, operates the Pathways
You can do anything you set your mind to Success program to help local OY learn about the thriving
to. Y’all help us reach our goals cause you New Orleans music and culture scene – a major tourist
know we have that potential. draw. Participants are then supported to perform at local
performances and encouraged to engage in the city’s music
Shirone, Café Reconcile, Class of 2018
business. A Pathways to Careers Fund investment catalyzed
the Foundation to prepare young people for opportunities in
Equipping OY for Career Advancement –Liberty’s Kitchen music production and business in addition to performance.
is another local non-profit with a restaurant skilling model.
It was founded in 2008 and has given hands-on training to
over 800 young people in a number of T&T skills via its dine-
in restaurants, catering business, and community food access
projects while also providing access to critical wraparound
services such as transportation. Under the Pathways to Careers
Fund, Liberty’s Kitchen designed a holistic pilot program to
help young people get hired, retain employment for a year or
more, and take meaningful steps toward promotion and wage
growth. The program worked with three local businesses - Ace
Hotel New Orleans, The Ruby Slipper Café, and City Greens
- that had previously hired Liberty’s Kitchen graduates and
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 4
A.3. Bridges from School to Work
Region of Focus: United States
About Bridges from School to Work the labor market. As youth with disabilities transition to adulthood,
Bridges from School to Work (Bridges) is a US-based non-profit they face high rates of unemployment, homelessness, reliance on
dedicated to matching young people with disabilities aged 17-24 to public assistance, and incarceration – up to 80% of incarcerated
employers who might otherwise overlook them for available vacancies. youth in the USA are believed to have a disability. In 2017, the
Bridges was launched by the Marriott Family in 1989 as a pilot in the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that youth cut off
suburbs of Washington DC, and has since expanded nationwide to from legitimate employment are more likely to work informally or
12 cities, placing over 20,000 youth with disabilities in jobs with over in illegal activities, and are much more likely to become victims and
5,200 employers – large and small – in a wide range of industries over perpetrators of violence. Bridges believes that basic support and
its 31 years of operation. mentorship to address these challenges can make the difference
between a disconnected, disillusioned young person and a productive,
The disabilities Bridges youth have are largely invisible and affect employed one.
reading, writing, computing, and information processing. This puts
youth with disabilities at a considerable disadvantage in an increasingly Bridges works to fill the gap between school and work for youth with
competitive labor market, even though few if any such disabilities disabilities in special education programs. A primary goal for Bridges
require workplace accommodations or adaptations. Yet, the global is to connect youth with disabilities to part-time jobs while still in high
movement to support OY has yet to scale solutions for youth with school to help them start building workplace skills and set the stage
disabilities. for a full-time transition to work after graduation. For students who
remain engaged with the program and express interest in career
Approximately 400,000 youth with disabilities exit US public progression after high school, Bridges assists them to secure jobs with
education each year and are more likely to be youth of color, male, more hours, responsibility, and higher wages.
living in poor neighborhoods, and lagging in academic proficiency.
Youth with disabilities are three times more likely to join the ranks of Bridges team members – known as Employer Representatives –
those neither in school nor working. More specifically, young Black work with high school campuses across 12 cities to teach young people
males with disabilities in the USA are at higher risk for suspension, job readiness and life skills during their senior year, either in classroom
expulsion, and adjudication, cutting them off from education and settings, one-on-one, or remotely using video conferencing.
employment opportunities that can be constructive outlets for their Instruction uses Bridges’ proprietary job readiness curriculum, and
time and energy. Many youth with disabilities – especially those in is complemented by Accenture’s cloud-based and mobile-friendly
low-income communities – leave school without any concrete plans “Skills to Succeed” platform. Employer Representatives can tailor
or social connections to get their futures on track. Statistically, those this curriculum to accommodate individual student learning issues.
who do finish high school have lower rates of college matriculation Next, they provide patient, individual assistance to young people on
and completion, making it important to help them successfully enter job searches, job applications, and job interviews. Bridges then helps
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 5
match students to part- or full-time entry-level jobs ideal for their
interests, aptitudes, and abilities. This is possible through Bridges’ I would like to thank the Bridges Program
strong network of over 5,000 employers and the value proposition for helping me start my career. I am
it presents to employers of screened, motivated, and trained talent.
thankful that they believed in me. It was
hard having a disability in school because
When I was in high school, people told I was picked on a lot and it was hard for
me that there would be limits to what me to make friends. I didn’t think much
I could accomplish because of my of my future because I was worried I
disability. With my job at Accenture, I would not have many opportunities.
feel I’ve already proven them wrong. Jamieson Holloway, Program Graduate; Line Cook,
Hilton Downtown Atlanta, 2020 Stephen G.
Tasha Lewis, Program Graduate; Marriott Youth Achievement Award Recipient
Location Services Associate, Accenture
Restaurants – Bridges has placed a significant number of
youth into entry-level jobs at casual dining restaurants such as
Bridges Youth Overview
Chipotle, Olive Garden, Applebee’s, IHOP, Chuck E Cheese,
Race/Ethnicity Disabilities Shake Shack, and Potbelly’s.
53% Black 61% Learning Events Venues – In Atlanta, multiple Bridges youth have been
32% Latino 20% Speech, Sensory, Other hired at State Farm Arena, home to the Atlanta Hawks NBA
7% White 8% Intellectual team and one of the southeast USA’s largest concert venues,
3% Multiracial 6% Emotional as well as SunTrust Park, home to the Atlanta Braves baseball
3% Native American, Pacific 5% Autism Spectrum team. Often these youth work with Aramark, Sodexo, and
Islander, Refused, or Other
Delaware North, which operate food and beverage concessions
2% Asian at sporting and entertainment venues. Additionally, Bridges has
placed numerous youth into the Los Angeles Music Center
and the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Bridges supports young people beyond training and help with a
first job, however. Once a Bridges youth gets a job, an Employer Travel – Bridges has partnered with Southwest Airlines and
Representative monitors, tracks, and supports them for up to a other carriers to introduce and connect youth to the travel
year, serving as a mentor and coach. The glue that Bridges provides and airline industries.
encourages young people to stay with their part-time jobs and
convert them into full-time work upon completing school. Southwest Airlines is proud to partner
with the Bridges Program to host
Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T
interactive work-based learning
In several Bridges cities, local businesses – including in the T&T
sector – host Bridges youth for information sessions, tours, and job experiences, tours, and interactive
shadowing. For many youth, such events are their first experiences discussions with Southwest Leadership.
ever seeing the inside of top hotels, dine-in restaurants, stadiums, Our goal is to provide Bridges participants
or premier entertainment venues, and learning about the broad a real-world look into the airline industry
array of T&T opportunities they might aspire to. Bridges has and help students see the numerous
helped youth access the sector in a number of ways to match their
career possibilities.
diverse interests and aspirations:
Anne Hudson, Accommodations and Transition Specialist,
Southwest Airlines
Hotels – Support from Marriott International’s “Project Arch”
pilot has over the last two years resulted in 30 youth hired in
Dallas, Fort Worth, and Atlanta hotels, including top Marriott,
Hilton, and Omni properties.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 6
A.4. Education For Employment (EFE)
Region of Focus: Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
About EFE Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T
Education For Employment (EFE) is an affiliated network Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, T&T was identified as a core
of locally-run non-profit organizations whose mission is sector for youth opportunity in all EFE countries, with in-
to create economic opportunity for unemployed youth depth T&T programming taking place in Jordan, Morocco,
and women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Saudi Arabia, and Palestine. In each place, EFE works with
region by providing market-driven life skills, professional local employers and youth to address the challenges outlined
and technical training that leads directly to jobs and throughout this report, remaining mindful of the limitations
entrepreneurship support. The EFE Network is comprised imposed by COVID-19.
of locally-run nonprofit Affiliates in Egypt, Jordan, Palestine,
Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia; and global EFE-Jordan is working with Agence Française de
support hubs in Europe, the US, and the UAE. Développement (AFD) to provide 1,350 Jordanian and
Syrian youth with technical and entrepreneurship training
EFE Affiliates work with a number of local and international in various sub-sectors of T&T for either private sector job
partners, employers, and youth-focused organizations to placement or the launch of a small home-based enterprises.
ensure their programs are relevant to the local context EFE-Jordan has also worked with the European Bank for
and market-driven. EFE’s core job training and placement Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to provide 150
programming features Affiliates working directly with Syrian refugee youth with training on café culture and other
employers to understand their needs, and then tailoring T&T-related skills. It has also partnered with EBRD to support
trainings to ensure that graduates learn the exact skills needed the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skills Organisation that
for direct job placement. The effectiveness of this model EBRD launched in 2018 to promote development of skills
has enabled EFE to connect over 111,000 young people needed to help the local T&T industry grow. Under this
to jobs and opportunities at over 3,000 companies across partnership, EFE-Jordan is currently managing the Abdali
the MENA region – a compelling library of success stories Mall Recruitment and Training Center in Amman and the
demonstrates the range of EFE’s impact. A point of pride Makarem training center in Ayla, Aqaba. Both of these centers
for EFE is its strong conversion rate from youth graduating a provide local youth with high-quality technical training in
training program to their being placed into jobs. Consistently T&T and other sectors. In an effort to address the stigma that
in the 65%-85% range, this demonstrates the importance of many Jordanians place on T&T jobs and to promote interest
demand-driven analysis to determine what skilling is required in the country’s growing T&T sector, EFE-Jordan in 2018
in a given place. launched the “National Campaign for the Hospitality Sector”
in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Labour, the
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 7Velaj Foundation, and the Drosos Foundation. Additionally,
in partnership with GIZ, EFE-Jordan is currently working After I graduated, EFE placed me in a
on the “National Campaign for Skilled Crafts.” Building on job at Olayan Food Services. I started
the previous campaign, it promotes youth interest in skilled at the bottom of the ladder in 2016,
crafts occupations and professions – many of which cater to
and today I supervise a team. I’m proud
tourists in Jordan interested in local products, foods, arts, and
crafts.
to be a Saudi woman leader, and EFE’s
high standards helped me take my job
In Morocco, EFE-Maroc spearheaded the Career Centers really seriously.
project, a 5-year, USAID-funded project in partnership with Hind, Olayan Food Services, Saudi Arabia
FHI360, IREX, and Golden Resources. Under the program,
EFE-Maroc created career centers across the country,
trained career advisors, and connected 1,842 youth to soft EFE-Palestine has worked with several hotels in the West
skills and job readiness training through the Najahi-Prét Pour Bank and Gaza, capitalizing on the increasing popularity of
L’Emploi online course. It also organized several recruitment religious tourism in the country. Under a grant from the U.S.-
and training activities for major hotel openings, such as the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), EFE-Palestine
Hilton Inn and Golden Tulip in Tangier, and Le Grand Mogador collaborated with hotels to create technical training curricula,
in Casablanca. Trainings for each of these openings involved recruit unemployed youth, and secure job placements for
careful work with employers to ensure youth gained the right 72% of training program graduates. This has helped the
technical training for foodservice, housekeeping, front office, Ararat Hotel, Caesar Hotel, and the American Colony
and back office staff. Additionally, EFE-Maroc has trained Hotel to place youth in reception, administration, food and
Morocco Ministry of Tourism staff on T&T training curricula beverage service, and human resources positions. One of
to ensure the program’s sustainability. Finally, the project’s the program’s graduates, Hiba Zalatimo, was promoted to
Virtual Career Center continues to display open T&T lead the marketing team at the Caesar Hotel only two years
positions allowing youth to explore the options open to them. after she was hired at an entry-level HR position. Zalatimo
now manages the boutique hotel’s new Caesar Hospitality
EFE-Saudi Arabia has sought to align with the country’s Academy, providing training to youth in hotel management
“Vision 2030” strategy that features an ambition for and culinary arts. Additionally, EFE-Palestine has worked
Saudization of its work force, replacing expatriate and with partners to train youth in the culinary arts for hotels,
foreign employees with Saudi ones. These efforts have restaurants and coffee shops. For those interested in
gained momentum since thestrategy’s 2016 announcement Entrepreneurship, EFE-Palestine has also provided start-up
and have significantly affected businesses’ hiring needs. In mentorship and funding for a range of projects related to the
response, EFE-Saudi Arabia has contributed increasingly hospitality sector, such as catering companies.
to the T&T sector through hotel staff skilling programs with
local Accor hotels. To address misperceptions about career
paths in T&T, EFE-Saudi Arabia has worked closely with the With EFE’s help, I landed an entry-
Colleges of Excellence, the country’s main body for applied level job at Caesar Hotel, one of
training, and has helped source youth for both Marriott and Palestine’s top hotels. I started as an
Hyatt. EFE-Saudi Arabia is currently planning a training with HR coordinator, was quickly promoted
Hyatt Riyadh for female hotel staff in late 2020. Finally,
to lead marketing and manage a team
other EFE trainings in Saudi Arabia connect both young
men and women to the broader T&T value chain, including of 60 people.
Hiba, Caesar Hotel, Palestine
foodservice and other sectors.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 8A.5. Global Travel & Tourism Partnership
Region of Focus: Global
About GTTP the officially approved T&T introductory curriculum in some
The Global Travel & Tourism Partnership (GTTP)’s mission is countries, and supplements existing T&T education in others.
to inspire and empower young people to build careers in all To reach OY, GTTP has brought Passport entirely online and
sectors of T&T: hospitality, travel, tourism, entertainment, and offers it free; country programs deliver it to OY in diverse
information technology. It was established in response to the ways. In 2020, 1,700 teachers were trained to deliver Passport
sector’s growing and significant need for a pipeline of skilled across 4,000 schools to 740,000 students. Over its lifespan,
talent, and the need to counter the misperception issues Passport has been delivered to 3 million young people and its
outlined in this report that prevent more youth from being reach has grown exponentially in the past five years.
attracted to T&T.
GTTP was founded in 1996 in partnership with T&T leaders to I highly recommend the GTTP program…
deliver a training curriculum to young people across the globe this program gives one the confidence
and it now operates programs in 15 countries. The program and ‘CAN DO’ attitude as you pursue
in the United States, the National Academy Foundation your dreams. I was positively influenced
(NAF), is an affiliate member. GTTP is also planning 2021 by a number of professionals who gave
pilot expansions into Ethiopia, Madagascar, Rwanda, and
Uganda. It is connected to multiple aspects of T&T via advisory
us the knowledge of what the industry
board members and global partners including Amadeus, holds for us and I had the passion to
American Express Global Business Travel, Carlson Family pursue a tourism career.
Foundation, CWT, dnata, KDS, Marriott International, The Lorah Mumbi, GTTP Alumna, DusitD2 Hotel
Nairobi, Kenya
Travel Corporation, Travelport, and the World Travel & Tourism
Council (WTTC).
In addition to Passport, GTTP’s country programs and its global
Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T and local partners help young people who complete the training
GTTP works primarily with governments and education to better connect to T&T sector opportunities via career days,
systems to introduce T&T to young people aged 16-18 who work experience, internships, and linkages to available jobs.
are on the cusp of joining the workforce. This is done through GTTP also holds a number of annual competitions that allow
its core program, “Passport to the World, An Introduction to students from different countries to participate in hands-on
Travel & Tourism.” Common threads across GTTP’s 15 country T&T-related activities.
programs are embedding Passport into school curricula to
promote T&T systematically to a broad youth audience, and
also training teachers to deliver the program. Passport is
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 9Eight GTTP programs – Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, students access internships, mentoring programs and career
New Zealand, Russia, and South Africa – work directly with days. Scholarships are offered for GTTP alumni to study
national and local government educational institutions. Below is foreign languages as part of their tourism training.
a snapshot of GTTP’s country programs: GTTP New Zealand introduced Passport under Go with
Tourism, a government-funded approach to build the country’s
GTTP Brazil partners with public schools via the Secretary of H&R workforce by training secondary school teachers and
Education with the support of local NGOs. The University of tertiary educators.
São Paulo faculty oversees academic content and provides
GTTP Philippines links with local universities and tertiary
teacher training. Partner schools connect with four local T&T
colleges to help improve tourism student standards and to
partners and have access to a wide range of training material.
increase the number of students joining the industry at the
GTTP Canada is part of the Canadian Academy of Travel entry level, with an emphasis on helping them obtain post-
and Tourism (CATT) which works to inspire Canadian youth training internships.
to build skills, knowledge and experience to succeed in T&T. GTTP Russia is managed by Junior Achievement Russia and is
Importantly, CATT offers its program in far northern regions delivered to over 160,000 students a year in 2,000 schools
of Canada as well as indigenous communities. across the country. GTTP Russia also offers teacher training
GTTP China’s curriculum is administered by the GTTP in more than 50 regions and participates in GTTP’s global
Director at Nankai University. Passport is available in both competitions.
Chinese and English, and students from across China GTTP South Africa introduced tourism as an official high
participate in GTTP competitions. school subject in 1996; GTTP supplements the national
GTTP Hong Kong supports a three-year senior secondary curriculum with Passport and has trained more than 4,000
elective program, Tourism & Hospitality Studies (THS) that, teachers to deliver the curriculum to over 360,000
in addition to the Passport curriculum, offers a gateway into students annually in nearly 3,000 schools. Students are
further education, training and careers in T&T. given information on career pathways, internships and
entrepreneurship opportunities.
GTTP Hungary offers the Passport program to students
GTTP Tanzania delivers Passport to students at an after-
aged 14-18 years across 10 schools, with a strong emphasis
school club in Dar es Salaam that runs T&T-related activities.
on exposure to career opportunities in the workplace.
In 2020, 400 students conducted a research project on the
Students are teamed with one of seven national partners for
impact of Covid-19 on Tanzania’s domestic tourism.
internships. GTTP Hungary also helped lead an expansion
into France with a successful pilot at a vocational school in GTTP UK is managed by the Institute of Travel and Tourism
Rennes. (ITT), a professional membership body for T&T sector
employees. It delivers Passport as part of its work with young
GTTP India aims to promote the study of T&T in secondary people seeking careers in the industry.
schools and junior colleges and has built bridges to T&T
employers provide placements for training and internships. Additionally, GTTP is responding to emerging T&T sector
needs: WTTC recently found that 68% percent of the T&T
GTTP Ireland embeds Passport into Tourism Insight, an online
workforce requires re-skilling to enable employers to adopt new
program supported by the Irish tourism development authority,
technologies. In response, GTTP in 2021 will launch the virtual and
Failte Ireland. Via the program, T&T sector professionals
free “GTTP Academy” that includes the Passport curriculum as
give lectures to schools and colleges, and work experience
well as new mini-course modules in sustainable travel, digital skills,
opportunities are provided through 15 partner businesses.
business skills, and workforce readiness. The Academy will work
GTTP Jamaica has helped introduce Passport into the with current T&T employers to facilitate upskilling and re-skilling,
country’s existing national tourism curriculum with activities helping to shape a more resilient T&T workforce.
including classroom presentations, community projects, work
placements and internships.
GTTP Kenya has embedded Passport into 56 public
secondary schools across Kenya. 13 national partners help
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 10A.6. Grads of Life
Region of Focus: United States
About Grads of Life company-specific workshops and off-the-shelf webinars and
Grads of Life (GOL) was founded in 2014 within Year Up, a other training offerings for company staff and leadership.
US-based demand-driven skilling organization, as part of a
strategy to close the “opportunity divide” – the disconnection Notably, GOL advised Bank of America (BoA) on its nationwide
between young people and stable careers and economic strategy to hire 10,000 recruits from low to moderate income
mobility. Changing employer perceptions and talent practices communities. GOL helped BoA establish recruiting partnership
is critical to creating more access and equity in employment. guidelines for a broad network of non-profit partners that
GOL complements youth skilling initiatives by focusing on the provide skills training in local communities, while also consulting
employer side of the opportunity divide to increase demand on a playbook for training providers, frontline manager training,
for Opportunity Talent, a broad grouping of people including and a referral and hiring portal. As of December 2019, BoA was
OY who face barriers to employment. GOL partners with more than 78% of the way to achieving its 10,000-recruit goal.
employers to change perceptions of Opportunity Talent and
help employers adopt inclusive talent strategies through two
primary approaches: Demand for talent is stronger than ever
and Grads of Life is helping us to recruit,
Advisory & Design services to partner with employers to
develop and retain the best.
help them design and build inclusive, business-driven talent
John Jordan, Managing Director,
strategies. Head of the Academy, Bank of America
Research & Insights on best practices to prove the social
impact and business benefits of inclusive employment, and to
accelerate adoption. GOL’s Research & Insights work is helping to shape a brighter
narrative of Opportunity Talent – and of OY – as an untapped
In its Advisory & Design work, Grads of Life works directly with and valuable source of talent, and to create an employer
employers to diagnose underlying causes of their recruitment, movement to help close the opportunity divide. GOL partnered
hiring and retention challenges. GOL then designs and delivers with Talent Rewire and other leading organizations to codify
diverse and inclusive talent management strategies that deliver the Opportunity Employer Framework, six key principles and
both social impact and business benefits – helping employers associated evidence-based strategies to guide employers to
address talent needs while advancing racial and economic justice. adopt practices that are more inclusive and supportive of
Increasingly, GOL works with its employer partners to measure the Opportunity Talent. Additionally, GOL jointly published
impact of any implemented changes, in order to enable continued Dismissed by Degrees along with Accenture, and Harvard
progress and to build the evidence base for direct employer Business School, highlighting the negative business impact and
action. This work also includes Training & Education work to give social cost of college degree requirements for middle-skill jobs.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 11The report has had an impact on a broad swath of employers, with
When Emani from Washington DC joined the RiseHY
influential employers such as Google and Johnson & Johnson
hospitality training program created with support
citing it in decisions to remove degree requirements from job
from Grads of Life, she appreciated the individualized
postings. As a companion report to Dismissed by Degrees,
and personal approach to training and interpersonal
GOL published the Workforce Wins whitepaper, which lays
communication that teachers and coaches took.
out the business benefits seen by employers that invested in
building OY talent pipelines, including increased retention, more
RiseHY gave Emani an opportunity to explore various roles,
efficient recruiting and improved diversity.
career paths, and inner workings of T&T. She found herself
attracted to roles that would allow her to utilize her passion
Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T
for engaging with people, especially through customer-
GOL has provided advisory services to several employers and
facing roles. Everyone in the program had an opportunity
stakeholders in the T&T sector, including the American Hotel
to shadow at two different hotels to gain real-life work
& Lodging Association (AHLA), Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, and
experience. On her last day of shadowing, her supervisor
Sodexo.
shared that he was also a graduate of Washington DC’s
Latin American Youth Center and had since progressed
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) sought
to his current management role. This interaction inspired
GOL’s help to better address T&T sector labor shortages across
Emani to pursue a career with Hyatt.
the USA. GOL partnered with AHLA and its associated AHLA
Foundation on its Empowering Youth initiative to increase the After graduation, she was offered a full-time front desk
number of OY hired in the hospitality industry, and also to position at Hyatt House Washington DC / The Wharf.
help OY convert entry-level work into long-term careers in
hospitality. GOL consulted with AHLA to identify obstacles to
success in T&T and consider OY career pathways. The initiative “I hope to own a hotel franchise someday and offer young
then developed a replicable market-based training model that adults, like myself, the opportunity to start a career that
can be scaled nationwide via its playbooks and training curricula. provides them with a clear pathway to success.”
As of early 2020 the Empowering Youth Initiative has trained - Emani, Front Desk Team,
over 465 participants across 45 hoteliers in 6 markets. Hyatt House Washington DC / The Wharf
We see Grads of Life as the ‘training In late 2017 and early 2018 GOL partnered with Sodexo, a
wheels’ helping us and our members food services and facilities management company, to design
figure out what works. We are proud to and execute an OY pipeline pilot to fill 40 hospitality roles in
have partnered with them to increase United Airlines’ Polaris Lounge at Newark’s Liberty International
opportunity and economic mobility by Airport (EWR). GOL engaged Women Rising and Goodwill in
Harrison, New Jersey to recruit and train local candidates with a
investing in our future workforce.
general and a proprietary Sodexo professional skills training. The
William “Chip” Rogers,President & CEO, AHLA
program saw a 90% hiring rate.
In 2018, Hyatt Hotels Corporation launched its RiseHY youth
employment initiative with the help of GOL. Through RiseHY, Grads of Life helped us bring RiseHY to
Hyatt pledged to bring 10,000 OY into its 55-country, life through design sessions to structure
750-property family by 2025. As RiseHY grew, GOL did our program and its components, and
subsequent design work with Hyatt to build a mentoring guide implementation support as we got up and
for hotels, and conduct manager trainings with an OY lens. To running. We are excited by our results to
enable replication, Hyatt translated all the English-language
date and how we are set up for success.
materials created throughout the program for distribution and
Audrey Williams-Lee, SVP of Human Resources &
use at numerous global properties. Philanthropy, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 12A.7. Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
Region of Focus: Africa
About Harambee Today, Harambee offers youth a free, mobile-enabled Pathway
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator (Harambee) is a Management Platform that aggregates various “earning,
not-for-profit social enterprise building African solutions for learning, and volunteering” opportunities. These include
the global challenge of youth unemployment. Founded in South foundational skilling programs that link directly to entry-level
Africa in 2011 by a coalition of business, government, and social jobs offered by Harambee’s extensive network of employer
partners, Harambee established operations in Rwanda in 2018. partners. The large number of youth users on the platform allows
The organization pursues four major goals: Harambee to efficiently and inclusively match youth on the
platform to employers seeking talent. Where employers need
Identifying and creating jobs and work experiences for additional skilling to fill jobs, Harambee supports with tailored
young people skilling programs to address those needs. In addition to this
Breaking barriers for young people to access opportunity skilling and matching, Harambee also works to inform employers
about key systemic barriers to youth opportunity, including
Linking young work-seekers to opportunities inclusively
transport issues, to help reduce job churn, improve inclusiveness,
Helping shape a more optimistic narrative around and improve employee retention.
opportunity youth.
Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T
Initially created as a solution to South Africa’s labor supply and Harambee’s strong partnerships with employers has enabled it
demand mismatches, Harambee provides demand-driven to identify employer needs that Harambee has helped young
skilling as well as rigorous candidate matching to ensure that trainees meet in a number of opportunities not only in hotels,
both employers and employees were good fits for one another. but also in the broader T&T sector.
Additionally, Harambee offers a basic work readiness program
to give OY foundational skills to seek and obtain work. In under In South Africa, Harambee helped develop an internship
a decade, Harambee has taken over 900,000 young people program at the Hilton Sandton outside of Johannesburg for
through this and similar training programs, while supporting young first-time jobseekers, which launched in 2014. The
almost 200,000 into jobs and opportunity. Harambee envisions program offered a pre-employment bridging program to help
further scaling its approach in South Africa and Rwanda, and acclimate young people to the hospitality industry, followed by a
replicating it into a blueprint to address youth unemployment six-month internship offering on-site learning and skill-building.
throughout Africa and globally. Interns went onto other jobs in T&T, and some were hired
directly by Hilton Sandton.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 13Additionally, Harambee also ran a program for 500 OY living
Nhlamulo Maluleke impressed the Hilton team during his
in remote areas of South Africa – and prohibitively distant from
2014 internship at the Hilton Sandton and was offered a
most T&T opportunities – to take up positions on international
permanent IT role at the end of his internship. His hard
cruise liners. Finally, under the Rockefeller Foundation’s Digital
work, dedication, and competence was rewarded with
Jobs Africa (DJA) initiative from 2015-2017, Harambee worked
Nhlamulo’s eventual promotion to IT Supervisor.
with 300 employers across multiple sectors to place 12,319
young people into entry-level, digitally-focused jobs, including
Tragically, Nhlamulo passed away in 2020 amid the
many in T&T.
COVID-19 pandemic. However, his story exemplifies how
T&T can be a conduit for young people not only to first
In Rwanda, Harambee is part of the Mastercard Foundation’s
jobs, but career advancement. He is remembered fondly
Hanga Ahazaza Initiative, a $50 million initiative to increase
by colleagues and Hilton leadership in the region.
employment opportunities for 30,000 Rwandan youth in T&T.
Over two years, Harambee provided job-seeking training to over
“He was a really valued member of the Hilton Sandton team, 6,000 Rwandan youth, supported over 1,000 of them into jobs
he established himself very well in the team and I continued to and learning opportunities. 25% of these have been in Rwanda’s
monitor his progress through the years. He impressed many T&T sector. Harambee has also partnered Vatel, an international
people and made an impact on them” hospitality school, and Question Coffee, to connect young
- Candice Meyer, Learning and Development Manager, people to further T&T opportunities. Since 2018, Harambee
Hilton Durban, South Africa has connected 157 candidates to Vatel’s hospitality e-learning
program, and 71 to Question Coffee’s barista training program.
In addition to these partnerships, Harambee has worked with
Harambee has also worked to connect youth with opportunities hotels and restaurants across Rwanda to match candidates for
at many of South Africa’s largest food and beverage brands. their positions, and to match its pool of OY candidates with
Harambee has also helped place 1,500 local OY into jobs prior opportunities in the broader T&T ecosystem.
to the roll-out of Burger King into the South African market in
2013. Harambee has also helped match OY to opportunities
in Burger King’s broader value chain. For example, its Delivery Blandine attended a Harambee job-seeker support
Driver Program helped create 1,000 food delivery opportunities workshop in October 2018 that helped her better
for local OY. Also, Harambee has partnered with Nando’s South understand how to look for job opportunities. “Through
Africa for over nine years, helping place more than 3,000 OY Harambee, I got my first job with 4Blooms restaurant,
into Nando’s locations and helping the company improve its where I worked as a waitress and cashier. Working at
talent sourcing and retention practices. 4Blooms helped to build my experience in the hospitality
industry and now I am working full time as a waitress &
cashier with Poivre Noir, one of the finest restaurants in
Neo Maphaka from Soweto, outside of Johannesburg, Kigali.” Harambee helped Blandine discover how T&T
was out of school and work when Harambee matched her offers entry-level opportunities even to OY: “I never
to an opportunity at Nando’s South Africa. She started thought that I would get a job without a degree but with a
on the restaurant floor as a runner, but soon had her one-month short course I was able to get two jobs, and this
eye on other opportunities at Nando’s. Neo then applied proved to me that it is wrong to underestimate myself.”
for Harambee’s “Bridge for Success” program, aimed
at introducing young Nando’s talent to management
responsibilities. The program helped her move to a
management role: “I went from being a runner to a cashier
to a skills trainer, which was at the Head Office Level. So
basically, I have come a long way!”
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 14A.8. International Youth Foundation (IYF)
Region of Focus: Global
Personal Competencies – developing self-confidence,
About IYF
listening, setting goals
International Youth Foundation (IYF) is a global non-profit
organization whose mission for over 30 years has been to Problem Solving and Managing Conflict – solving
connect young people with opportunities to transform their lives. problems, managing conflict, reducing bullying
It has a global network of over 600 local organizations in multiple Healthy Behaviors – promoting healthy living habits,
countries. With these partners, IYF strives to build effective, reproductive review, family planning, substance abuse
sustainable, and scalable initiatives that drive change around three Effective Work Habits – interviewing, working in teams,
interconnected strategic objectives: youth agency, economic respecting diversity, time management
opportunity, and systems change. Ultimately, these initiatives
aim to help young people gain market-relevant technical and life Advanced Skills –modules on Financial Education, Skills
skills, as well as foster enabling environments and enhance the for Professional Growth, Entrepreneurship Skills, &
systems within which young people all live and work. Service Learning
In 2014, in partnership with Hilton Worldwide*, IYF adapted
Supporting Youth Opportunity in T&T PTS into a tailored curriculum to support youth and entry-
IYF’s work covers numerous employment and entrepreneurship level employees in Hilton’s vast global workforce to meet T&T’s
pathways, and has had strong success preparing youth for daily challenges. T&T workers have diverse challenges in the
T&T opportunities with curriculum alignment efforts as well workplace and must be able to adapt rapidly to accommodate
as its foundational Passport to Success (PTS) program. PTS them. This requires excellent communication skills, cross-
has underpinned several IYF efforts to help youth access T&T cultural competencies, adaptability, and customer service,
opportunities, including the Jóvenes a Bordo program in Mexico among others. In its first years, the program certified 67 trainers
and the Emploi Habilité program in Morocco. within Hilton’s Human Resources team who have gone onto
deliver PTS to thousands of employees.
Passport to Success (PTS), IYF’s premier “life skills” training
program, helps young people build soft skills and employability
skills that are critical to the world of work, but which youth rarely PTS boosted my confidence. It has
are taught even in the most advanced educational systems. The opened my eyes to so much and given
program utilizes experiential learning and interactive teaching me skills I didn’t have... My bosses and
methods to ensure learner engagement and comprehension. colleagues can see that I can make a
The program covers the following areas: difference.
Yvonne, Team Member, Hilton Durban, South Africa
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTOR Page 15You can also read
