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Fall 2014 Issue
We hear that working in the food service industry is not a high
earning job nor a positive career path to take. The Ohio Restaurant
Association (ORA) and Ohio Restaurant Association Education
Foundation (ORAEF) know that the foodservice industry is a lucrative
career path for young people to consider as the foodservice industry
is Ohio’s second largest private sector employer in the state. It is
an in-demand career to pursue as our industry provides 543,300
Ohioans jobs which represents 10% of the total employment in the
state. We are an economic engine to support!
Most people have worked in the foodservice industry sometime
during their lives. One could say we are the training experts for
the world. We offer first-time job experiences. If the students
do not want to stay in the foodservice industry, we have helped
other employers get a pool of trained employees. We’ve saved
companies on training costs, as some companies want experienced
employees. That speaks to our HOSPITALITY! Our teachers train
and our students practice daily on employability skills/soft skills,
which is the number one challenge for human resources staff. We
offer authentic experiences and experiential learning that provides
students with the best opportunity to learn.
The ORAEF is making a difference in the lives of Ohio ProStart
students. We couldn’t offer this program without the support of the
industry, the ProStart educators, administrators, the ORA, donors
and mentors. YOU are making a difference in the lives of the
students, our future workforce!
To show the difference you are making, the ORAEF compiled
an annual report for the 2013-2014 School Year (SY). This
report shows the accomplishments of the schools, students,
foundation and the supports provided by the industry. If you
would like a copy of the full report please contact Sharon Fish at
Some of the facts included in the report include: 30% of ProStart
seniors earned the ProStart Certificate of Achievement (COA); 5
years after graduation, 69% of ProStart students are working in
the industry, 46% of ProStart graduates enrolled in post-secondary
culinary training programs, 18% are entering a non-culinary post-
secondary program and 37% of students are entering directly into
the workforce to work in the industry; and, 75% of students taking
the national ProStart level 1 and level 2 exams passed with a 70%
of higher score. This speaks to the great job that our ProStart
teachers are doing.
The ORAEF gave $65,000 in scholarships through our industry
donors to students entering postsecondary programs to support their
efforts to pursue a career in the foodservice industry. Ohio students
and teachers have also benefited from receiving scholarships
through the efforts of the National Restaurant Association
Educational Foundation (NRAEF) since 2007 in the amount of
nearly $405,000.
It is back to school, and the ORAEF wants to align our foundational
support with what the industry needs from our educators and what
the educators need from the industry. To keep Ohio one of the
strongest states in providing students with this national ProStart
program, we need your help. Please call me to share your ideas; we
are a collaborative program and need to work together!
By Sharon K.M. Fish,
Executive Director,
Ohio Restaurant Association
Education Foundation
Education is Our Foundation
Is the Foundation Making a Difference?
Ohio political, business and labor leaders
have known for years that our state’s
unemployment compensation system
simply must be changed. The penalties
employers are forced to pay when Ohio
borrows from the federal government are
costly and only make it that much more
difficult for companies to grow their
business and hire more employees.
As mentioned earlier in this article,
unemployment
compensation
is
complicated…there are no easy fixes.
The ORA will continue to be the
industry’s voice as the General Assembly
considers long term solutions. We will
provide our members with updates as
the political process unfolds (through
our weekly e-newsletter News Bites).
And as always, your input about this
and all legislative issues is welcome
and encouraged.
By: Richard Mason
Director of Government Affairs,
Ohio Restaurant Association
