AHLA Foundation expands hospitality education

Summary:

• AHLA Foundation is partnering with ICHRIE and ACPHA to support hospitality education.
• The collaborations align academic programs with industry workforce needs.
• It will provide data, faculty development, and student engagement opportunities.

THE AHLA FOUNDATION, International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education and the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration work to expand education opportunities for students pursuing hospitality careers. The alliances aim to provide data, faculty development and student engagement opportunities.

Their efforts build on the foundation’s scholarships and link academics to workforce needs, AHLA said in a statement.

"We're not just funding education—we're investing in the alignment between academic learning and professional readiness," said Kevin Carey, AHLA Foundation president and CEO. "These partnerships give us the insights needed to support students and programs that effectively prepare graduates to enter the evolving hospitality industry."

ACPHA will provide annual reports on participating schools’ performance, enabling the Foundation to direct resources to programs with curricula aligned to industry needs, the Foundation said.

Thomas Kube, incoming ACPHA executive director, said the partnership shows academia and industry working together for hospitality students. The collaboration with ICHRIE includes program analysis, engagement through more than 40 Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society chapters and faculty development.

“Together, we are strengthening pathways to academic excellence, professional development and industry engagement,” said Donna Albano, chair of the ICHRIE Eta Sigma Delta Board of Governors.

In August, the AHLA Foundation held its No Room for Trafficking Summit to advance industry efforts against human trafficking.