Teaching hospitality southern style
Published November 1, 2008
by Brian Welch
Media Producer
askMANDO.com
All resorts certainly have things that make them unlike any other. But our resort profile this time is about a place that is quite unique. Lakeside Resort is a popular Tennessee destination that, as the name suggests, is right on the lake. That is not unique, as resorts located on lakes can be found worldwide. And Lakeside Resort offers the usual fare, such as breathtaking views, relaxing accommodations and delicious cuisine.
What sets Lakeside Resort apart is that in addition to being a working resort, it is also a training facility that offers educational opportunities and job placement to help provide qualified employees for the hospitality industry. So now we’ll reveal the official name – Lakeside Resort and Educational Complex.
Since 1988, the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, a non-profit organization, has operated Lakeside Resort and Educational Complex, located on scenic Center Hill Lake in DeKalb County, Tennessee. Prior to 1988, the area was known as “Tech Aqua,” a biology lab operated by Tennessee Technological University in nearby Cookeville.
Phyllis Bennett is the executive director of the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, and the resort as it appears today is the result of an idea she had years ago.
“Tennessee Tech had realized that the area was a ‘pink elephant’ in terms of getting government funding and decided that they would allow letting another facility to take it over. They still had a lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (owner of the land) at the time so we were thinking that we could make it into an educational facility to offer professional culinary arts and hospitality management training,” said Bennett.
The Professional Resort and Quantity Food Management educational program at Lakeside Resort is a partnership between Tennessee Tech and the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency. It’s funded by the Tennessee Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development.
Financial aid is available, and after completing the course, students receive 18 transferable continuing education units from Tennessee Tech, a certificate of completion, and assistance with job placement in positions that lead to career opportunities in the resort and culinary management field.
In order to make the grade, students concentrate for 18 weeks as they learn the hospitality industry inside and out, while dealing with real-life situations as they begin their careers. And here, they learn how to handle things that happen when working with the public and co-workers in the hospitality industry.
In addition to being an educational complex, Lakeside Resort offers lodging, water recreation, food services and event facilities, according to Randy Shelton, director of education at Lakeside.
“We do a lot of corporate and governmental conferences, church retreats, family reunions and weddings,” said Shelton. “We have a beautiful setting with a 26-unit lodge with kitchenettes and a view of either the lake or the pool. We have 12 cabins, and another unit that we built recently with four suites. Lakeside also has an amphitheater for weddings, a banquet facility, a conference room and total Internet services including WiFi.”
Operating under the umbrella of the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency allows Lakeside Resort and Educational Complex to emphasize quality education and service, as opposed to making money. “So what we try to do is make it break even. We’re a non-profit agency and we’re here to help people move from dependence to independence,” explains Bennett.
“One-on-one interaction between the students and me is very important,” said John Alunni, Lakeside Resort instructor. “There’s some lecturing involved, but also a lot of hands-on learning. It’s a good well-rounded education for the students. A large part of the program and part of the jobs that they would get after the program in the business is a lot of positive reinforcement,” Alunni continued.
“Certainly, we talk about the mistakes that we’ve made – I call them opportunities – throughout the class or functions that we do. Instead of saying, we did this and that wrong, we say this happened but how can we fix it next time. And the next time we do it, we fix it,” said Alunni.
Students work in all positions in order to learn the management role in the daily operations of a resort, and they are paid by the hour. In addition to being paid for their work, students have access to free transportation, and uniforms are furnished.
Bennett says Commissioner James Neely of the Tennessee Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development has been supportive of Lakeside Resort and Educational Complex from the beginning. “He saw the vision and realized the need for this type of training for individuals going into the hospitality industry,” said Bennett.
The future looks bright for these students. Bennett says if they are willing to relocate, Lakeside can place 100 percent of graduates.
“Gaylord Hotels has sent at least one representative to all of our career days. Davidson Hotels has been here,” said Lakeside general manager Milburn Rodgers. “We put one student with Norwegian Cruise Lines based in Hawaii. That’s what he wanted to do. If your goal is to travel the world, is there a better way to do it?”
Alunni says he tries to make it all enjoyable. “If you’re not happy in what you’re learning, you’re not going to learn. We make it fun, we joke around. That’s the way it is in real life in the hospitality industry. It’s a service industry and if you can’t smile, you don’t belong in it. We laugh all day long and have a good time. And when its time to be serious, we’re serious,” Alunni continued.
“I hope the students take away not only the basic jobs skills they need to get their foot in the door in this business, whether it be in resort management or culinary arts, but also some good basic work ethic and what it’s going to be like out there in the work force,” Alunni said.
“We hope they get a feel for what they need to do, how to present themselves and work with others as a team to be successful. I love working with the students and with the resort staff. Probably my favorite part is watching them all graduate – the tears in the eyes of the students and their families. Just taking a little piece of someone’s life and changing it for the better – that’s about the best part, I think.”
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