This promise is particularly strong in New Orleans, where the hospitality industry offers a solid beginning point for young people at the start of their careers. Responding to the high number of opportunity youth in Orleans parish, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Hospitality Workforce Development Program seeks to improve the life trajectory of young people through a focus not only on career placement, but also career advancement. With nearly 15 percent of youth in New Orleans facing significant economic instability and disconnection, young people struggle to find and retain employment with potential beyond entry-level positions. The challenges they face are systemic and substantial— and so are the solutions.
This fact sheet highlights the Foundation’s approaches to the hospitality workforce development program.