BACKGROUND: Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, whose mission is to help make Greater Columbus an appealing destination to visit, understands the critical role tourism plays in workforce development and the economic vitality of a community. After all, Greater Columbus welcomes 43 million visitors each year which generates 7.6 billion dollars in local business. The tourism and hospitality industry supports nearly 78,600 jobs in Franklin County.
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) talent and leadership is vastly underrepresented in our industry. Experience Columbus has partnered with Tourism Diversity Matters to form a Diversity Apprenticeship Program. This program offers emerging BIPOC leaders to gain firsthand experience working in destination marketing and the travel and hospitality industry.
The beauty of travel has always been its ability to expose us to people, places, and experiences different from our own. Experience Columbus, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and over thirty Columbus partners are thrilled to offer this reimagined program to create more leadership pathways for BIPOC individuals in the tourism industry.
OBJECTIVE: The Diversity Apprenticeship program will provide hands on, on-the-job experience for people who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) to work across multiple departments (i.e., administration, guest service, food and beverage, marketing, sales, finance, etc.) in travel industry organizations. The Apprenticeship Program is structured to position the apprentice for long-term professional success in a leadership capacity in the travel industry.
STRUCTURE: The central terms of the Diversity Apprenticeship program are as follows:
APPRENTICESHIP OVERVIEW: During the 6-month program, the apprentice will be employed by Experience Columbus, however, will spend most of the program hours in one, two or even three different participating partner organizations. The apprentice will have the opportunity to prioritize the tracks by interest. Although, we cannot guarantee your preferred track, we will try our best to accommodate applicants based on their preferences.
APPLICANT BENEFITS:
APPLICANT CRITERIA: This is a highly competitive program. Applicants should meet the following universal eligibility requirements:
*The successful completion of a background check is required after offer of employment and proof of authorization to work in the US must be provided within 3 days of start date.
Preferred skills:
APPRENTICE REQUIREMENTS:
Note: While performing the duties of the apprenticeship, the employee is frequently required to sit, walk, talk or hear. Employee may be requested to lift materials of up to twenty-five pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions