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

JobsInRI.COM

The RIHTA/JobsInRI partnership is part of the JiUS Connects program, recently developed to provide greater exposure and opportunity for great local employers to connect with the best local talent.

Through this partnership, RIHTA members will receive a number of benefits, including discounted JobsInRI subscriptions, access to industry and state specific labor market information, free education seminars, and increased exposure for their businesses on JobsInRI.com, the largest recruitment advertising resource for Rhode Island based employers and job seekers.  JobsInRI will continue to reinforce its local focus and reach through the numerous networking and advertising resources provided by the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association. 

Through partnerships with local business and industry associations, JobsInRI will continue to drive qualified local candidates to their site, while providing significant benefits to both the association members, and the associations themselves.

Johnson & Wales University

Johnson & Wales University is a world-class university, where students have an opportunity to pursue a career education in business, hospitality, culinary arts, or technology. Scores of majors and degree programs are offered at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level. The mission of Johnson & Wales University is to empower its diverse student body to succeed in today's dynamic world by integrating general education, professional skills, and career-focused education. To this end, the University employs its faculty, services, curricula, and facilities to equip students with the conceptual and practical tools required to become contributing members of society and to achieve success in employment fields with high growth potential.

RI Department of Education

RI Economic Development Corporation

It is the mission at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to strengthen the Rhode Island economy through policies, programs, and projects, which enhance and enrich the business environment for public and private sectors in order to create prosperity for all Rhode Islanders. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation has been a proud partner in the State's business growth and revitalization. They pledge to capitalize on their successes, building the most dynamic economic development organization in the country.

U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration, established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, in addition to a venture capital portfolio of $13 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than one million small business owners. The SBA also plays a major role in the government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses. The Rhode Island headquarters is located at 380 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.