FORT DAVIS — Area learners aged 16 through adult will now be able to gain professional hospitality training at no cost, thanks to the generosity of foundations, donors, and area businesses who have provided significant financial support to the Mountain View Hospitality Academy.
“We are so excited to make this announcement!” said Jeanine Bishop, director of the academy and co-founder of Mobile Comunidad, the nonprofit organization that developed the program. “We knew we would be able to offer professional development to those seeking a career path in hospitality and tourism at an affordable price, but we didn’t anticipate this turn of events which has resulted in a no-cost model for learners.”
The academy will host an open house in a meet-and-greet format for area employers, prospective learners and the community-at-large at the lodge on Monday, July 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. Additional instructors are also being sought for immediate hire. Training is provided for these flexible positions that start at $25 per hour compensation.
Bishop said that after about six weeks of training, those graduating from the Fort Davis-based academy will be ideally placed to immediately gain career-path positions with local, regional, national, and even international employers, noting that hospitality skills are some of the most portable a learner can obtain.
According to census and other data sources, hospitality and tourism are the main economic sectors of the Big Bend and Trans-Pecos region. “There has long been a disconnect between the available workforce and the employers in need of staffing in this industry,” Bishop said. She added that the academy is working with both sides of the equation, learners and hospitality businesses, to fill well-paying job opportunities with professionally educated workers.
The academy includes partnerships with the London-based education nonprofit, Saira Hospitality and the eCornell Program of Cornell University, a recognized leader in hospitality education. Graduates of the academy will receive certificates from eCornell, as well as guaranteed job interviews with the partnering hospitality employers of the region.
It is estimated that at least 100 job openings will be available by the end of 2024 in the area of Jeff Davis, Brewster and Presidio counties, with existing, expanding and new hospitality properties, Bishop noted.
The academy is based at Mountain View Lodge and Cafe at 501 SH-118 in Fort Davis and will include opportunities for hands-on experience at that commercial operation. Laptops and tablets will be provided for learners who do not have their own. Classes will be presented in a hybrid mix of in-person and digital courses, facilitated and supplemented by local guest speakers with experience in hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, campgrounds, and other related businesses.
Learners wishing to participate in the academy’s first session should visit the academy program section of the website mobilecomunidad.org to complete the interest form. A high school diploma is not required to attend the courses.
Mobile Comunidad is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to provide accessibility to healthy food, technology, literacy, healthcare and economic stability through community engagement and collaborative partnerships. Donations to the organization or the academy can be made by visiting the donate section of the mobilecomunidad.org website.