Worker training program benefits students, hotels; New Hampshire: School Administrative Unit 36.

A school district in Whitefield, N.H., a business partner and a trade association have developed a symbiotic relationship leading to employment for students and a trained labor pool for the tourism-related company.

The relationship was initiated when the Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa approached the local school system about educating students in the hospitality industry.

The resort opened in 2002 after a $20 million restoration of the former Mountain View Grand Hotel, which had been dormant for nearly 20 years on 400 acres in Whitefield. The resort faced the immediate need of staffing the 145-room resort at the entry and managerial levels.

After several meetings with officials of the School Administrative Unit 36 and the Littleton School District, the partners decided to create the Mountain View Academy. The idea was to train and provide jobs for the students during high school and upper-level positions after they completed postsecondary education.

The initiative, which led to School Administrative Unit 36 being named the New Hampshire state winner in the National Civic Star Award competition, has provided a boost to Coos County, the state's poorest county. Most of the local jobs in this scenic area are provided by a few paper mills, but tourism is expected to grow. Mountain ranges, including Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States, are visible throughout the area.

Work-skill development, however, will be needed to support tourism industry growth. The Mountain View Academy provides students with an introduction to hotel management based on the Lodging Management Program curriculum created by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The two-year curriculum is based on national industry standards, and students have the opportunity to gain nationally recognized certification when they complete each year of the program.

The resort provides classroom space at the facility, and a teacher provides curriculum-based instruction three days a week, using the entire resort in her lessons. On the other two days of the school week, the resort's 20 department managers work directly with students for the 90-minute class period. Students spend four class periods over two weeks with the same manager being exposed to various aspects of the individual's responsibilities.

Students have participated in numerous community service projects as part of their academy experience. They have taught elementary school students proper dining etiquette, participated in career days to educate middle-school students on the tourism industry and served as greeters for school events. They have also planned and hosted a Halloween party for the area's elementary school students and their families and have hosted school district functions at the resort.

In April 2005, four academy students placed second in the national Lodging Management Program competition in Orlando, Fla. This was the first time academy students had participated.

Funding for the trip was provided by the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, which also provided financing for the academy curriculum materials. Because of the academy's success, the association has agreed to help expand the academy model to other school districts in the state.

The resort was recently purchased by Brothers Properties, which has real estate in the United States and Scotland. The new management indicated it was looking to continue the current program model for first-year students and to expand the role of second-year participants as they become the Mountain View Academy Management Team. The team is expected to take on real projects for the resort to help it expand its offerings to guests.

For more information, contact Superintendent Dean Cascadden at School Administrative Unit 36, 14 Kings Square, Whitefield, N.H. 03598, or call [phone]. E-mails should be sent to [e-mail].