Orlando, Florida, April 2016—The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has signed an agreement with Knowledge Matters that will provide high school students who complete the Virtual Business Hotel Online simulation with an exemption from the 100-hour internship component of the industry-recognized Certification in Hospitality Tourism and Management (CHTMP). Students still need to pass both the Year 1 and Year 2 exams for the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP) curriculum.
“AHLEI is thrilled to be partnering with Knowledge Matters to better prepare our high school students for careers in the hospitality industry,” said Shelly Weir, AHLEI’s vice president, domestic sales. “Our HTMP students will gain experience in all of the key roles in hospitality management through both the classroom-based AHLEI curriculum and the Knowledge Matters simulator. The partnership aligns perfectly with our objective to develop a strong pipeline of workers for this dynamic industry.”
Completing the 100-hour internship component of the CHMTP certification process can be difficult for many high school students. The Hotel Online simulation will provide them with 10 levels of in-depth hospitality content that Knowledge Matters calls “the ultimate job rotation.” The simulation-based high school curriculum was developed through a partnership between The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, DECA, and Knowledge Matters. Executives from Marriott International provided subject matter expertise in all areas of the lodging business.
"Today's students are tech-driven and tech-savvy. Giving them options to gain critical knowledge through virtual experience learning makes sense. Students will have the opportunity make decisions in a simulated environment and see the impact of their decisions on both customer satisfaction and the bottom line. We are proud to work with AHLEI to provide students with the tools they need to succeed — in school and in the workplace,” said Peter Jordan, president and CEO of Knowledge Matters.
For more information on how the Hotel Online simulation integrates with AHLEI’s high school curriculum, contact Weir at sweir@ahla.com, or call 407-999-8100.
