In May 2007, the Rhode Island Hospitality Association Education Foundation was awarded with the Governor's Workforce Investment Board's Industry Partnership Grant. This grant was created to promote a partnership composed of employers, government agencies, associations and workforce agencies providing service, employment, training and education, and career development in the hospitality industry. Currently, the hospitality industry faces many challenges, including attracting and retaining entry-level staff, the development of supervisory staff, English proficiency, and the inability to access education for career advancement. This partnership seeks to provide entry-level employees with the opportunity to build their skills, access certification programs, increase their educational level for career advancement. Overall the partnership plans to find ways to increase retention and promotion in the workforce for the benefit of the industry.

Industry Partnership Grant Components Include:

1. Partnership Development
2. Skills Gap Analysis
3. Collaboration with State and Local Workforce Agencies
4. Service Development
5. Special Projects:
   1. Human Resource Council
   2. Hospitality and Tourism Leadership Summit
   3. GenerationWhy? Seminar
   4. Junior Achievement’s Groundhog Job Shadow Day