The desire of a supervisor at IHG® Army Hotels on Joint Base San Antonio for her son to have a summer job at the hotel to learn to appreciate all that she does quickly turned into a reality.
In the summer of 2016, the first IHG® Teen Academy was created. Hotel staff brought in their children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to interview for the program. 14 teenagers, aged 14 to 16, were hired as hotel staff for the summer.
Each teen was paired with an existing employee to learn laundry, housekeeping, breakfast, and houseman skills. Like other employees, they were given hotel uniforms and received pay.
Hotel RDO and GM, Teresa Colatarci, says the program is a great opportunity to “groom possible future leaders and kids that don’t necessarily have the means or desire to go to college right away.” Not only did the teenagers walk away having learned a new skillset and a possible future career option, but they also learned to appreciate how hard their relatives work.
And, that’s not all – each of the 14 students received certificates upon graduating from the summer program. Some will continue to work weekends, while others were invited to return next summer for seasonal jobs.
The IHG® Teen Academy was so successful, it has now been adopted by more than half of the IHG Army Hotels posts and continues to grow.
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