Two Midwest community colleges are expanding real-world opportunities for their hospitality students. Students in the Hospitality Arts department at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will help staff the new 71-room Hotel at Kirkwood Center along with the part- and full-time employees and managers. “This facility is designed as much for the student experience as college and public guest options,” says Lee Belfield, the hotel’s manager. “It is being built as a learning-laboratory for students to be better prepared when they enter the professional hospitality industry.”
In the past, Kirkwood students learned about managing a restaurant while operating the Class Act Restaurant on Kirkwood’s main campus. They served four lunches per week. With the opening of the hotel, students will gain experience preparing and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the full-service restaurant, along with catering events.
Meanwhile, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) has started construction on its Hospitality Management Center at Public Square, Cleveland. The 25,000-square-foot building will feature a state-of-the-art culinary facility, classrooms, a demonstration studio, and a video wall visible to passers-by.
“With the expanding downtown entertainment scene, and the casino, medical mart and convention center on the drawing board, the hospitality field is a significant job growth area for our community,” says Al Moran, vice president of marketing and communications for Tri-C. “The Hospitality Management Center will prepare students for rewarding careers in these areas.”
In addition, the center will provide opportunities for the downtown hospitality industry to increase the skill level of their current employees and will offer evening and weekend noncredit courses for those wanting to learn new culinary skills.
