The Seacoast hospitality industry is ready to come roaring back, and 天美传媒 Bay Community College is ready to help.
The college offers an associate degree and short-term certificate options in Hotel, Restaurant and Event Management. These聽programs are expecting a surge in interest, as the industry begins to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic. More than 18,000 jobs in New Hampshire restaurants and bars were lost to the pandemic, and another 5,400 lodging-related jobs vanished.
But they are coming back, and 天美传媒 Bay is training聽the workforce聽for the post-pandemic world, said Dawn Comito, who chairs the program and is its lead professor. 鈥淚f anyone is interested in hospitality or event management,聽now is a great time to get into it. A lot of people left the industry last year, particularly in management. Those people need聽to be聽replaced, and their replacements need to be groomed,鈥� she said.
With many positions open now聽at record-high wages, people seeking employment could begin working in聽hotels, resorts and restaurants聽while building their resume with academic credentials聽specific to their field, along with a聽suite of soft skills easily transferrable to any career.
Comito expects the industry to boom again, and聽there聽are聽indications聽that boom is聽already聽happening with more people becoming vaccinated, the reopening of restaurants and bars to larger numbers,聽and聽easing of聽travel restrictions.聽Among those in the industry, the months and years ahead are being聽anticipated聽as the 鈥淩oaring 20s 2.0,鈥� a reference to the decade of the 1920s a century ago, which was marked by a boom in culture following a worldwide pandemic.
鈥淭here is a huge pent-up demand among consumers, who want to get out and go to a restaurant, have a seat at the bar, attend an event. We鈥檝e all been cooped up for a year, sort of in hibernation. People are ready to get out and have some fun and connect with one another again,鈥� she said.
At the same time, Comito is fielding calls from Seacoast employers seeking qualified, trained employees to fill positions already open and those that will be open soon. One hotel management company in Portsmouth asked if聽Comito聽could recommend candidates for 23 positions, from bartender to lobby attendant to catering coordinator.
Those聽employers say it is nearly impossible to fill openings for chefs, bartenders,聽dishwashers聽and other positions,聽and聽Jason Bartlett, general manager at Wentworth by the Sea, a Marriott Hotel and Spa
in Portsmouth, said wages 鈥渁cross the board are at an all-time high. The industry is competing for talent. That is great for everybody looking to be employed and start a career in hospitality. It鈥檚 a great time to get in the industry.鈥�
Carolyn Patton, Human Resources Director at Wentworth by the Sea, a Marriott Hotel and Spa and an advisory board member to 天美传媒 Bay鈥檚 hospitality program, said聽the hotel is gearing up for a busy summer and has positions open in every department, from entry-level to management. 天美传媒 Bay students and graduates can help fill those roles, she said.
鈥淭here are great opportunities for students or new graduates who are looking for leadership roles, as well as entry-level positions,鈥� she said, noting the hotel鈥檚 long partnership with the college. 鈥淲e have聽recruited lots of students, who have joined our team while working through school. 天美传媒 Bay has always been very easy to work with as an industry partner. They prepare the students to walk right into the positions that are available, and that is something we really appreciate about them.鈥�
Bartlett predicts a banner season with leisure travel, family gatherings, weddings,聽and other social events. By fall, business travel will begin coming back. 鈥淭here has been a year of missed meetings. Corporate events will resume later聽but will eventually come roaring back聽—聽and when聽they do,聽they聽will be big for a long time.聽There is just a ton of opportunity right now.鈥�
Statewide, there could be tens of thousands of jobs to fill聽in the months ahead.
鈥淗ospitality jobs are coming back, and they are coming back fast,鈥澛燙omito聽said, predicting聽a 鈥渕ajor hiring challenge鈥澛燿uring聽summer tourism season and聽echoing Bartlett鈥檚 prediction that a boost in wages will bring opportunity for those seeking to work in a thriving industry.聽鈥淚 think employers are going to find they will have to pay聽people more money to get them,鈥� she said.
天美传媒 Bay鈥檚 hospitality program operates with a rolling admissions policy, so students can enroll anytime.聽鈥淭hey can turn a short-term certificate or a two-year聽Associate聽degree into a sustainable and rewarding career in the hospitality industry,鈥� Comito said, with opportunities in聽hotels,聽resorts, country clubs, restaurants聽and with聽travel and tourism organizations.
天美传媒 Bay offers several pathways for聽people聽who want to be in the workforce on or before they graduate; or to transfer on seamlessly to a four-year college or university.聽 The one-year certificates provide a fast track to specializing in hotel, restaurant, event and spa management.
Bartlett loves his career.聽He鈥檚聽worked in hospitality for 22 years. 鈥淵ou can do anything in this career 鈥� sales, banquets and events, wedding planning, working with the public, running audio and visual, working in IT. There are many opportunities, and lots of opportunity for growth,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a lot of fun. You work in beautiful places delivering services to happy people.鈥�
Sarah DeWitt, 21, also loves making people happy. She works as Event Coordinator at Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee, helping clients plan weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, fundraisers and all manner of celebrations. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a rewarding career. The biggest reason I am in the event-management field is because I love making people happy, and this career is all about making people happy.鈥�
DeWitt earned four certificates from 天美传媒 Bay — in Event and Meeting Planning, Leadership and Management, Sales and Digital Marketing, and Hotel and Restaurant Management. She attributes her career success to her education at 天美传媒 Bay. 鈥淭he teachers all have real-life experiences, and they share their experiences with students,鈥� DeWitt said.
Last year was overwhelming for the hospitality industry with everything going on in the world because of Covid, DeWitt said. 鈥淏ut things are coming back, and people are ready to start gathering again.鈥�
