Unique Sector Partnership Propels Upper Manhattan Residents Into Quality Jobs and Careers in Hospitality

The Victoria Theater, built in 1917 on 125^th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglas Boulevards, has long signified the history, culture and architectural heritage of Harlem.

Now redeveloped and topped with a 26-story Renaissance by Marriott hotel, this historic theater is part of a project that signifies opportunity for Upper Manhattan residents seeking careers in hospitality.

The Marriott Hotel above the Victoria Theater will feature more than 200 rooms and a 5,000-square-foot ballroom. Developed by Exact Capital and the Lam Group with the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ), the hotel will generate about 60 jobs for Upper Manhattan residents seeking to build their skills through the Employer-Driven Bridge Hospitality Program, launched at a speaker event at the State University of New York, Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC), on January 21.

The academic component of the Hospitality Program will be delivered in Spring 2020 by MEOC, which is administered by Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY).

Created through a unique sector partnership — educational provider MEOC; real estate development firms Exact Capital and the Lam Group; hotel management agency the Real Hospitality Group, and non-profit community developer UMEZ — the Hospitality Program will provide seven to 10 weeks of training. Participants will learn computer skills, receive academic support and earn a ManageFirst-Customer Service and Food Handler’s License, according to MEOC Executive Director Anthony Watson.

Students who complete the program will also receive career guidance and have a direct link to employment opportunities at the Marriott Hotel on 125th Street. If they want to continue their higher education, they will be guaranteed admission to BMCC and will be waived the application fee.

In addition, Watson said, those who have earned at least a “C” in both their Introduction to Hospitality and Hotel Operations courses in the Hospitality Program will have the option to enter BMCC and start with three automatic credits toward an associate degree in Business Management, with a concentration in Hotels, Travel and Tourism.

“This project can and will change the trajectory of our communities and how businesses view training programs — allowing them to see the benefits of working closely with educational and non-profit institutions to affect change,” said Watson. “This is not just any model, this is an opportunity to show how impactful collaboration can be. I applaud the leadership of UMEZ, the development team, and Marriott Hotel and all the people who worked behind the scenes to make this possible.”

Speakers reflect a shared mission to bridge the employment skills gap

The Hospitality Program launch, held at MEOC, presented a speaker program highlighting key players and supporters of the program.

UMEZ President and CEO Blair Duncan opened the event.

“As an economic development organization, we know that meaningful economic development requires the creation of program models that are geared toward continued reinforcement of a strong, skilled and qualified workforce to support businesses and local economic growth,” Duncan said.

He added that in addition to providing hotel industry content, computer skills and industry-recognized credentials, “The Hospitality Program will provide direct linkage for those who complete the program to interview with the local Marriott operator, the Real Hospitality Group NYC.”

He also related the mission of the Hospitality Program to his own experience going from a public high school in Detroit to the University of Michigan.

“There was a gap in terms of the skills I needed to be able to compete on a level playing field in college,” Duncan said, “and there was a summer bridge program that I believe built the foundation for the rest of my academic career as well as for my professional career. So, it’s my hope that this bridge hospitality program will lay the foundation for local residents in upper Manhattan to have a hospitality career in New York City.”

U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, Congressman of the 13^th  New York District, congratulated the sector partners on their efforts.

“This is an important project for Harlem and the 13th District,” said Espaillat. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this employment-driven project to come to fruition and it’s going to be successful. It’s going to provide 58 jobs for our local community, training folks in a new industry, the hospitality industry, in a professional way, and in an academic way. Graduates of the program will take with them the tools that are necessary to be successful across this city and beyond, in the hospitality industry.”

J. Phillip Thompson, deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives, City of New York, spoke on the Hospitality Program’s role in an evolving hospitality labor market.

“I think the kind of training provided by programs such as this, that are set up at SUNY and BMCC, actually prepare workers for what’s coming,” said Thompson. “The digital economy is emerging, things are not going to stay the same and new kinds of work will emerge. We’ve got to be able to prepare our people to actually move into those new jobs, and I think this program does that.”

Craig Livingston, founder and managing partner of Exact Capital, said that in addition to his professional role in the creation of the Hospitality Program, “I am also someone who went to school in Harlem, and I live in Harlem. I think that’s a unique feature of this project — the connectivity of a developer to a project like this can weave the aspirations and desires of the community into the project, and the community benefits. That’s how development should be done.”

UMEZ Vice President of Workforce Opportunity Investments Yahshaanyah Hill closed out the speaker program and launch.

“It is our belief at UMEZ that workforce development is a critical component of economic development and the two in alignment create opportunities for local residents, businesses and communities,” said Hill.

“Local residents who are disadvantaged in their pursuit of accessing industry specific training will benefit from the Hospitality Program, which was customized and designed to meet their learning needs,” she said. “Program activities will commence in early spring of this year … Let’s celebrate together the collective impact that we will have as a community as we propel Upper Manhattan residents towards not just jobs, but quality jobs and career opportunities.”

 

For more information on the Employer-Driven Bridge Hospitality Program at MEOC, call (212) 961-6037.