School in the wee hours? Career & Tech Lodging Management students
will learn overnight at The Parker Inn in downtown Schenectady

These local high school seniors are preparing for careers, college in the lodging & hospitality industries in our region, across the country and abroad

Coffee anyone? Local high school seniors enrolled in the Lodging Management program at the Capital Region Career & Technical School in Colonie won't be turning in early on December 8, when they will take part in a unique educational experience: an 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. field trip to The Parker Inn in downtown Schenectady. The 10 students are from communities including Ravena, Voorheesville, Clifton Park, Duanesburg, Cohoes and Delmar.

The students are preparing for national certification, college and careers through the program, which was developed by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and endorsed by the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association and supported by the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"On December 8-9, instead of sleeping or going out with friends, our Lodging Management students will be spending the night learning about what happens during the evening shift at a well-run hotel," said teacher Christine D'Alessandro, CEC, CCE. "Under the direction of Frank Burns, The Parker Inn's director of operations, the students will rotate through the hotel and see firsthand the operations of food and beverage, housekeeping, security, and the front desk. We are excited to offer our students a unique experience at a unique hotel."

In the Capital Region and around the globe, the lodging and hospitality industries work hand-in-hand with the performing arts, providing accommodations and event space for both audiences and performers. As an added bonus during their December 8-9 overnight observations, Career & Tech's Lodging Management students will meet the cast from the show "Chicago," which will be playing at Proctor's Theatre right next door.

Career & Tech Albany Campus Principal Tony Krulikowski said, "We are very proud of our new Lodging Management program and the opportunities it offers Capital Region students. We are also thankful for the terrific support of our business and industry partners, including The Parker Inn and Proctor's Theatre, which also helped develop and hosts our Theatre Arts Technology program."

Lodging Management combines study on the Career & Tech campus with on-site learning and internships at area hotels. In addition to earning credit for career and technical coursework, Lodging Management students also may earn credit for high school English 12 and math. They earn college credit through Schenectady County Community College's College in High School program and SUNY Cobleskill. Lodging Management students also work toward national certification as Certified Rooms Division Specialists. Such certification proves to employers that an individual has acquired a specified level of skills, knowledge, experience and a foundation for further education and career growth.

With more than 5,000 hotel rooms, the capacity to seat nearly 60,000 meeting and banquet guests and ongoing construction of even more such facilities, New York's Capital Region offers a host of career opportunities in the hospitality industry, which employs nine million people nationwide. Career opportunities in the lodging and hospitality field include employment as a Certified Rooms Division specialist, guest services agent, front desk or reservations manager or clerk, banquet assistant, catering or events salesperson, food and beverage director; general manager and more. Several colleges and universities offer degree programs in the field.

For students, parents, educators and others interested in learning more, an informational open house about the Lodging Management program will be held at the Albany Marriott Hotel on Wolf Road, Colonie, on February 15, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Career & Tech's guidance department at 862-4816.


[Dec 1, 2005]