In aftermath of RNC, Tri-C builds on partnership with hospitality industry

October 04, 2016

When Cleveland was awarded the 2016 Republican National Convention, the area’s leaders came together with one goal in mind: utilize the convention as a springboard for sustained economic growth.

The convention helped spur the construction of downtown hotels and restaurants, and served as a momentum-generator for numerous infrastructure repairs and upgrades. When delegates and visitors arrived in July, they saw a Cleveland that exceeded its longstanding national reputation as “the buckle on the Rust Belt.”

But now, nearly three months after the convention’s end, the TV trucks are gone and Quicken Loans Arena has been transformed back into the home court for the NBA champion Cavaliers. And the real economic development challenge has begun – taking the advancements afforded by the RNC’s arrival, and sustaining them.

Cuyahoga Community College is among the local institutions aiming to make that happen. Tri-C was integral to the regional preparation in advance of the convention, assisting many of the new downtown hotels with hospitality workforce training. Through rounds of conversations with the hotels’ general managers, Tri-C gained an understanding of the unique training and recruitment challenges facing the hospitality industry.

The end result was a new training program – the Hospitality Boot Camp, a five-week training course designed to fast track qualified candidates in areas of need throughout the hospitality industry.

In an article published in the October issue of Smart Business Cleveland, Tri-C President Dr. Alex Johnson addressed the Hospitality Boot Camp, and how the College’s relationship with the hospitality industry has continued to evolve in the aftermath of the RNC.