| Wednesday, 11 March 2009 | |
Adults make a life-changing choice with JHI.jpg) Thirty-five adults from all walks of life gathered at Beaver Street Enterprise Center Thursday, March 5, for the opportunity to get free job training for the hospitality industry. Some had been jumping between part-time jobs most of their adult lives and wanted something more stable, some were ex-substance abusers, some were victims of recent lay-offs and job market difficulties, and some were even fighting to avoid foreclosure on their home. They had all gathered to become students in the next class cycle of the Jacksonville Hospitality Institute (JHI), a FreshMinistries initiative. JHI offers free 9-week job training for under- and un-employed adults to help them land great jobs in the hospitality industry. The program includes classroom training, life skills classes and hands-on training in the areas of food service, front desk service and housekeeping.  The Rev. Dr. Robert Lee, founder and chairman of FreshMinistries, spoke to the students at orientation. “I’m proud of all of you because you’ve taken a step in your own lives to do something,” said Dr. Lee. “Congratulations on taking that first ‘Yes I can’ step with us.” Former JHI student Rena Asberry also spoke to the students, sharing her own story of success and giving tips to help the students succeed in the industry. “Stick with this – it’s good,” encouraged Asberry. Thursday’s orientation left most prospective students feeling energized and hopeful about their futures. Even though they can’t be promised a job in the hospitality industry after graduating, JHI staff will do everything they can to make sure the students are as prepared as possible to land a new job, from mock interviews to appearance and speech coaching. Many new students at orientation were excited about being able to call about job ads in a whole new section of job listings. Phrases like “open new doors,” “giving me a chance,” and “great opportunity” were being spoken during a lunch break at Thursday’s orientation.  “These people are getting a golden opportunity to make changes in their lives for the better,” said Bob Burr, instructor at JHI. “I think most are realizing this is something they can’t pass up.”As of Monday, 22 people decided JHI was the place for them and enrollment for the class was closed. “We usually leave enrollment open for the first week of class, but we’re actually a little over capacity now,” said Darlene Yarborough, interim director of JHI. “We don’t want to turn these extra students away, though, so we’ll accommodate them.” Accommodating the extra students may be quite easy, thanks to a recent facelift and upgrades to JHI. Its facilities were given a “green” interior paint job, new furnishings for the hands-on training areas and will soon be receiving high-tech equipment upgrades to further facilitate training.           |
Contact
1131 North Laura St.
Jacksonville, FL 32206
Phone: (904) 355-0000
Fax: (904) 355-3004
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
