Dutchess Community College is getting into the ABC’s of hospitality. The school is launching a new Hospitality and Tourism Associate Degree program.

It says it is coming just at the right time.

“We started this program in response to industries, demonstrated need for talent, for a qualified talent pool,” says DCC Hospitality and Tourism Program Chair Maureen Gittelman. She says the industry is one of the top employers globally.

The program is expected to equip students with a strong business foundation, giving them versatility in the job market, especially as more people get vaccinated and travel again.

What You Need To Know

  • The hospitality and tourism industry is one of the top employers globally

  • The program is expected to equip students with a strong business foundation, giving them versatility in the job market

  • There is an estimated nearly 900,000 job openings in hospitality as of February 2021

“This is a great program for students who want to be in a dynamic career field, who want to be in the public, who want to provide great customer service,” says Gittelman. “Students aren't just learning about hospitality and tourism. They'll be able to experience hospitality and tourism.”

The industry as a whole needs all the hospitality it can get. The COVID-19 pandemic turned travel upside down.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the unemployment rate for the industry was nearly 17% in December 2020. But things are looking positive. As of March 2021, that rate has decreased to 13%. In February, there was an estimated more than 900,000 job openings available in the industry.

According to the CDC, 240 million vaccines have been administered and travel is now beginning to pick back up, with TSA reporting more than a million passengers a day passing through airport checkpoints over the past two months.

Dutchess Tourism President Melaine Rottkamp says the opening of casinos, new hotels and amusement parks, like the new LEGOLAND in Goshen, make the program a great opportunity for future graduates.

“This program at Dutchess Community College is going to go a long way to helping to train those individuals who will be providing those excellent experiences that people will share on their Instagrams, that they'll tell all their friends about,” says Rottkamp.

The Dutchess Community College Hospitality and Tourism Program begins this fall.