The Hospitality Industry
The Hospitality industry is made up of businesses that care of guests. This includes restaurants, hotels, cruise lines, spas, amusement parks, tours, museums, etc. This is a very important part of West Virginia’s economy. The Mountain State’s beauty draws a lot of tourism business every year with river rafters, skiers, hunters and anglers, hikers, and campers. Making sure these tourists have a memorable experience guarantees our state’s reputation as a great place to visit. People in the industry must have strong interpersonal and creative problem solving skills.
JRTI has one program to prepare you for working in the Hospitality field. You will learn about this program in the next lesson.
Who Works in Hospitality?
Example Job Titles
- Research Chef
- Executive Chef
- Food & Beverage Director
- Beverage Manager
- Dietitian
- Executive Steward
- Catering Manager
- Food Stylist
- Food Photographer
- Banquet Manager
Education Requirements
Although many people enter this industry without a college degree, most job listings will state that a four-year Bachelors Degree is required. A certificate from a technical school or a two-year Associates Degree can get your career started. However, higher levels of education can increase the opportunities you will have. Even if you plan to attend college, studying this field in high school can give you the foundational skills that will make your college experience easier.
Example College Programs
- Baking and Pastry – Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY
- Food Service Management – Pierpont CTC, Fairmont, WV
- Food & Beverage Management – Johnson & Wales, Providence, RI
- Hospitality and Tourism Management – Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Frequency of Skills Used in this Field
| Skill Categories | Very Often | Often | Occasionally | Rarely |
| Hands-on/operate equipment and tools | X | |||
| Critical thinking/creative problem solving | X | |||
| Basic math problem solving | X | |||
| Advanced math problem solving | X | |||
| Computers & technology | X | |||
| Written communication | X | |||
| Interpersonal and social | X |