The COS Training Resource Center will be offering two new academies as a pilot program: Retail Fundamentals Academy and Restaurant & Hospitality Academy. These trainings were chosen due to local labor market data showing the need for a stronger workforce in these areas; they are subsidized by a grant, costing only a $25 refundable deposit per participant.
The Restaurant and Hospitality Academy takes place on Mondays & Tuesdays from February 27th – March 21st at the Marriot Hotel in Downtown Visalia. A career in the restaurant and hospitality industries can lead you in many exciting directions. Trainees will have a chance to take the ServSafe Manager exam after the ServSafe training within the academy. Additional topics include customer service, communication, working on a team, time management and more. Restaurant professionals and hospitality professionals (leads, supervisors, up-and-comers), family entertainment venue professionals, or entrepreneurs are encouraged to attend.
Carrie Groover from the Visalia Marriott says “These academies come at just the right time to support and strengthen our local workforce. Every restaurant or store has their star employees that can be promoted, or have been promoted; they need to be invested in with trainings that focus on growing them and their skills in customer service, communication and other topics.”
The Retail Fundamentals Academy takes place on Mondays & Tuesdays March 6th – April 4th at the COS Visalia campus. The Retail Fundamentals Academy is a new training that will teach participants how to successfully navigate the retail industry and how to be the best professional employee for a business! Topics include retail operations, customer service, workplace readiness, communication, working on a team and more. Upon completion, participants will have the chance to earn their certificate for Retail Fundamentals through an exam offered by the National Retail Foundation. New or experienced retail employees, retail leads and supervisors, retail management and owners, and entrepreneurs are encouraged to attend.
Both of these trainings will help you boost your resume or provide the opportunity to ask for a promotion/raise. Additionally, it will set you apart from your competition and show your managers your dedication to your position and growing within the company.
According to the 2018-2028 Employment Projections for the Tulare County area provided by the Employment Development Department, the top Fastest Growing Occupations in Tulare County are “Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food” with a projected estimate of 5,260 jobs. In addition, the “Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food” category is the second category with the Most Job Openings in Tulare County. From December 2021 – December 2022, food services and drinking places employment increased by 800 jobs in Tulare County. With the expansion of venues such as Eagle Mountain Casino, and the introduction of new companies such as the Great Wolf Lodge, workforce expansion in retail, restaurant and hospitality will only keep growing.
Both of these academies will be taught by Munir Khan. Munir has a strong background in business and human resources management, and has had a proven record of helping companies grow, such as PepsiCo, Marriott Corporation, and Jamba Juice Company. He has 12 years of successful management and sales experience in the hospitality industry and 15 years of professional, hands-on training for corporate sectors in the USA, Mexico, Denmark, Bangladesh, and several other countries of South Asia.
For more details, or to register for an academy, visit the COS Training Resource Center website at www.cos.edu/trainingcenter. You can also contact the TRC at trainingcenter@cos.edu or 559.688.3130.