- Hospitality Daily
- Posts
- Working With The LeBron James Family Foundation and Saira Hospitality to Empower Communities
Working With The LeBron James Family Foundation and Saira Hospitality to Empower Communities
with Kevin Osterhaus, President at Graduate Hotels
Josiah Mackenzie
November 17, 2023
Together with
Lots of hospitality providers talk about serving their community, but few go as far as the organizations we're going to be talking about today: Saira Hospitality, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Graduate Hotels.
We’re also learning about:
Hosting thought leaders
Using art to create more inviting spaces
Doing “a little bit more”
…and more
👋 First time reading? Subscribe here
TOGETHER WITH HIREOLOGY
Hireology State of Hiring in Hospitality Report 2023
Hotels, resorts, and other hospitality businesses have never fully recovered the jobs they were forced to eliminate at the onset of the pandemic and now — more than three years later — are still struggling to attract talent for these roles. Workers in this sector have the upper hand, forcing employers to adjust their offerings and processes to meet their needs or risk losing top talent and taking a hit to the bottom line.
The key for employers in the hospitality space is to better understand the mindset of today’s skilled workers so you can adjust your offerings and processes to stand out. Hireology recently surveyed more than 400 hospitality industry job seekers to understand the modern hospitality worker and created a report that outlines the six common characteristics found in this group and what it means for you as an employer looking to fill open roles, better serve guests, and maximize revenue for your business.
FEATURE STORY
Working With The LeBron James Family Foundation and Saira Hospitality to Empower Communities
with Kevin Osterhaus, President at Graduate Hotels
Kevin Osterhaus
Today, Graduate Hotels president Kevin Osterhaus joins us to discuss a project they did and the opportunity it shows for community engagement.
Collaborating for Impact
The starting point for this story is The LeBron James Family Foundation's creation of House Three Thirty, an innovative, multi-use facility filled with resources for and by families in the community.
In partnership with Graduate Hotels, the Foundation launched the 'Training Camp' program to provide people in the community with essential hospitality skills. To realize this vision, Saira Hospitality, a nonprofit specializing in pop-up hospitality schools, was brought on board to develop a curriculum encompassing soft skills and specific hotel industry expertise.
Credit: Graduate Hotels
Training Camp: A Pathway to Career Opportunities
People who went through this ‘Training Camp’ program from Saira Hospitality and Graduate Hotels were then given the opportunity to use their newly developed skills at House Three Thirty. Kevin told me many have loved it so much they’re still working there.
Today nearly everyone who went through the program is still working there. It's been a huge success.
Why Hospitality?
I asked Kevin why the LeBron James Family Foundation focused on hospitality, and he said it was all about an alignment of mission.
There’s not an organization I can think of that could better share values in terms of lodging and skill provision and access to different careers. The LeBron James Foundation wanted to continue to provide opportunities for their team members in Akron. They wanted to show off the work that they're doing in Akron. They've opened this amazing facility that provides these jobs, but also showcases so much about what they're doing and brings the community in.
Credit: Graduate Hotels
This alignment between housing, skills training, and career access made hospitality a natural focus for their community support initiatives.
It was just an extension of what they can do to support the community. And they've done it in a remarkable way.
Beyond Talk to Action and Change
The collaboration between these organizations shows how hospitality can be a pillar of community support, going beyond the traditional scope of the industry’s focus. This initiative goes beyond saying good things and takes action through investing, creating programs, and driving real change.
The story is profound for us. It matches our desire to continue to focus on getting people excited about hospitality.
The partnership between Saira Hospitality, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Graduate Hotels represents a model of how hospitality can play a pivotal role in community empowerment. By focusing on skill development and job creation, this collaboration is not just about providing community services but about nurturing and showcasing the potential within the people of our communities.
Who do you know that would appreciate this today? Click here to forward this email.
From our community
Hospitality Daily is a community of creators and doers. Some things for today:
💡 Want to be featured here? Join our community on LinkedIn, and tag Hospitality Daily in your LinkedIn post
What did you think of today's email? |