Innisfree Hotels’ Project SEARCH programs in Florida have graduated over 50 student interns and hired nearly a dozen for full-time employment.
GULF BREEZE, Fla. — Innisfree Hotels (innisfreehotels.com) prides itself on being an Employer of Choice in the communities across the Southeastern U.S. where it owns and manages properties. One of the ways it stands out is through an inclusive partnership with Project SEARCH (projectsearch.us), a nationwide program that prepares young people with significant disabilities for success in competitive integrated employment.
Innisfree Hotels has hosted Project SEARCH sites since 2018, with current interns working and learning at six properties in Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola Beach.
Through Project SEARCH, interns who are typically ages 18-22 spend a school year rotating through the Hilton Garden Inn and the Holiday Inn Resort in Fort Walton Beach, and the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Resort, Fairfield by Marriott and Hilton Pensacola Beach in Pensacola Beach. They participate in classroom learning on-site as well as on-the-job training for a variety of roles at the properties: housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, front desk, and front- and back-of-house food and beverage positions.
“We work hard to base internships on the students’ individual career interests and skill sets,” said Rhiannon Reynolds, Vice President of Operations at Innisfree Hotels. “They often learn skills for additional jobs while moving throughout the properties.”
To date, over 50 students have graduated through Innisfree Hotels’ Project SEARCH program, with about a dozen accepting full-time permanent positions.
“Innisfree Hotels believes in supporting a work environment where every team member feels that they belong, their voices are heard and their opinions matter,” Reynolds said. “Project SEARCH embodies those values. We are proud to partner with them to help build the next generation of hospitality professionals.”
In addition to Project SEARCH, Innisfree Hotels works with local Vocational Rehabilitation offices, Okaloosa UP and other organizations that are focused on providing job skills and training to people with disabilities. These efforts have been recognized with the Exceptional Employer Award from the State of Florida, as well as with proclamations from Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties.
For more information on Innisfree Hotels, including workplace culture and career opportunities, visit innisfreehotels.com.
