Hyatt Hotels Corporation launched RiseHY, a new global program designed to pair the hospitality industry's career opportunities with young people who need them. As part of the initiative, Hyatt hotels around the world commit to hiring 10,000 opportunity youth—people ages 16 to 24 who are neither in school nor working—by 2025.
According to the International Labor Organization, more than 40 percent of the world's young people are either unemployed or living in poverty. As reported by Measure of America, there are 4.9 million opportunity youth who are disconnected from the economy in the U.S. alone.
"We understand the challenges young people face, and Hyatt hotels are uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. Hospitality is one of the few industries where entry-level opportunities often lead to fulfilling, life-long careers that can change the trajectory of someone's life," Malaika Myers, chief human resources officer at Hyatt, said in a statement. "With the launch of RiseHY, Hyatt hotels will harness the power of technology in ways our industry has never done before to scale career opportunities, bringing awareness to hospitality careers, setting candidates up for success from the start, and expanding training programs as a path for employment."
Virtual Reality: Bringing Awareness to Hospitality Careers
Using virtual technology, youth across global communities will be able to experience what employment inside a hotel looks like, from home or a community center. With this immersive experience, candidates will be able to spend a "day in the life" of hospitality professionals and learn about key roles Hyatt hotels offer, including bell attendant, entry-level culinary, housekeeper, steward and waiter/waitress.
Digital Skill-Matching: Setting Youth Up for Success from the Start
Funded in part by Hyatt Hotels Foundation, digital technology that taps into artificial intelligence also will be made available to community-based organizations in order to identify candidates' inherent soft skills and match those to entry-level roles in the hospitality industry—and not just at Hyatt hotels. Candidates that match to hospitality roles will then have the option to be referred to human resources teams at a variety of hotels through community-based organizations, ensuring they are set on a path that aligns with their skill set.
Training Programs with Community-Based Organizations: Pathways for Employment
As part of RiseHY, Hyatt hotels will build upon their engagements with local community-based organizations and further expand our global network to scale training programs and accelerate opportunity youth hiring. Working with organizations like Grads of Life and Youth Career Initiative, Hyatt hotels will provide on-the-job training and employment opportunities across the globe.
"Grads of Life is thrilled to be part of Hyatt's ambitious effort to expand career opportunities for opportunity youth across the globe," Elyse Rosenblum, principal at Grads of Life, said in a statement. "We were honored to assist Hyatt in developing RiseHY and believe that this program will give many young adults a chance to explore a career in hospitality—an industry that offers significant opportunity for professional growth and advancement."
"Hyatt's support of Youth Career Initiative since 2008 has helped more than 300 disadvantaged young people train and secure meaningful employment at Hyatt hotels around the world," Wolfgang M. Neumann, chair, International Tourism Partnership, said in a statement. "We are incredibly excited that Hyatt has chosen our YCI program as a strategic partner for RiseHY. Together, we aim to provide vocational skills, training and employment opportunities to thousands of the most disadvantaged young people, empowering them to improve their lives and build successful careers in the hospitality industry."
"It has always been in the Hyatt DNA to build a diverse and inclusive global Hyatt family, and our hotels have been working with local organizations for decades to bring employment opportunities to underserved members of our communities," Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, said in a statement. "RiseHY is a focused commitment that not only brings our purpose—we care for people so they can be their best—to life in our communities, but it is also a business imperative to ensure we have a diverse pipeline of great talent for the future."