18 PSS students set to receive hotel, hospitality certification

A CNMI non-profit organization, The Latte Training Academy, began its Hotel & Hospitality certification program in partnership with the Public School System prior to the end of the school year. A total of 18 PSS students underwent the 180-hour training program and tested for the globally renowned American Lodging & Hotel Education Institute Certification. As part of the program, students worked alongside HANMI members to conduct job shadowing in preparation for their certification.

This training program, developed by the American Lodging & Hotel Education Institute, is the only curriculum offered within the region that provides a globally recognized Hotel & Hospitality certification to successful participants. The program provides participants with opportunities to work in major hotels throughout the world and has been deemed the gold standard in employee development within the industry.

“The Latte Training Academy is proud to offer this training to the CNMI as it provides our workforce with a relevant skill set to enhance our prized tourism industry. The availability of the program is well timed, given the extension of the CW program, and will allow our organization ample time to prepare the local workforce with the required skill set and knowledge base to gain employment within the hotel and hospitality industry. While we hope that the participants will remain in the CNMI and join our tourism workforce, the program offers a globally recognized credential that will allow participants the ability to gain employment throughout the world,” said Arielle Buyum, Latte Training Academy president.

The non-profit organization, which is dedicated to workforce development, is right now focused on the hotel and hospitality industry. The organization has worked alongside PSS and hopes to offer the program on a regular basis throughout the school year to high school students. In April this year, the Latte Training Academy submitted a competitive grant application through the Administration of Native Americans, Sustainable Employment and Economic Development Strategies program in hopes of offering the program to the local workforce who do not otherwise qualify for workforce training assistance.

“We understand the need for funding to ensure that we can prepare our workforce for the impending labor transition. We have been active in seeking out various sources of funds to ensure that we can offer the training to all segments of the local workforce and do not want to rely on a single source of funding. Our goal is to prepare the entire labor pool interested in pursuing a career in the hotel and hospitality industry, not just the segment that can receive funding assistance,” added Buyum.

The organization’s exclusive partner, Island Training Solutions, provides course instruction with industry professionals with decades of experience. “We want to ensure that our students are trained by knowledgeable professionals who have actually worked and are currently working in the industry. This gives students the opportunity to learn the industry from a practical sense, in addition to the course work,” said Jim Arenovski, Island Training Solutions president.

The inaugural cohort has performed job shadowing at hotels throughout the island in preparation for their certification testing. The Latte Training Academy is working alongside the Saipan Chamber of Commence and HANMI to promote employment within the industry for the graduating participants.

“We don’t want to simply train participants but want to help the gain employment using their newly acquired skills,” said Arenovski.

The inaugural cohort will be presented with their certification at the upcoming graduation ceremony on July 31, 2014, at the Pacific Island Club Saipan. However, the Latte Training Academy is currently enrolling all interested PSS high school students to begin during the fall semester. PSS high school student interested in attending can contact the Latte Training Academy at lattetrainingacademy@outlook.com or by contacting their high school counseling office. (Latte Training Academy)