Welcome! In the City of Mobile, we are known for our Southern Hospitality, where every visitor is treated like family and where our spirit of service embodies the phrase, “neighbors helping neighbors” especially during times of need. It is in this spirit that Mayor Sandy Stimpson has reached out to our partners, the University of South Alabama (USA) and Visit Mobile to create uplifting and upskilling training opportunities for our “neighbors” in the hospitality and tourism industry who have been gravely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The USA Hospitality and Tourism Workforce Innovation Alliance (HTWIA) designed the Mobile Strong in Hospitality and Tourism Certification to help hospitality and tourism workers in the City of Mobile who have either been furloughed or laid off due the pandemic to take advantage of this down-time to reflect on their career goals.
The Certification provides free-of charge learning opportunities such as talent risk and good fit assessment, updated information on new career paths, hospitality and tourism job offerings and tourism knowledge about Mobile, and self-care, ranging from physical to financial wellness.
The Mobile Strong in Hospitality and Tourism Certification offers participants the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion from USA by completing five courses offered. In addition, participants who choose to take the Cultural and Tourism in Mobile course (Course #5) can earn a Mobile Strong Ambassador certificate of recognition from Visit Mobile upon successful completion. Each course is only an-hour long and will be offered completely online via Zoom. Since this is a certificate of completion, there will be no course examination. However, your participation will be monitored for attendance integrity.
You will need internet access, a microphone, a webcam, and Zoom application. To download Zoom, go to https://zoom.us/freesignup
At the conclusion of the certification series, the City of Mobile and hospitality and tourism business partners will host a virtual job fair exclusive to Mobile Strong in Hospitality & Tourism Certification participants.
Virtual Job Fair: Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Participants who have successfully completed the program will be sent the registration link to the Virtual Job Fair which will also be offered via Zoom.
Eligible individuals can self-enroll into the Certification courses by selecting 5 of the courses listed below (pick courses from the same session; either Session A or Session B). Click on the course title and the link will take you to the Eventbrite registration site.
Registration is free and will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis. The class limit is 100 participants per course.
COURSE #1A – Monday, 5/11/2020, 11:00am – 12:00pm
COURSE #1B – Monday, 5/18/2020, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Talent Risk Assessment and Good Fit Analysis for New Career Opportunities
This course is designed for those interested in reassessing and re-skilling for transfers and new opportunities in other hospitality and tourism industry sectors. It also helps with decision-making between job or career options, helping participants evaluate the risk of accepting one job offer and/or employer over another.
Presenters: Dr. Robert J. Thompson, Chair, USA, Dept. of Hospitality & Tourism Management Dr. Evelyn K. Green, Director, USA Hospitality & Tourism Workforce Innovation Alliance.
COURSE #2A – Tuesday, 5/12/2020, 11:00am – 12:00pm
COURSE #2B – Tuesday, 5/19/2020, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Hospitality Competencies for Sustained Professional Success
This course helps individuals hone-in competencies desired by hospitality & tourism employers and teaches them how to self-improve for professional success within the industry,
*Take Course #1 prior to taking this course.
Presenters: Dr. Robert J. Thompson, Chair, USA, Dept. of Hospitality & Tourism Management; Mr. David Clark, President/CEO, Visit Mobile; Dr. Evelyn K. Green, Director, USA Hospitality & Tourism Workforce Innovation Alliance.
COURSE #3A – Wednesday, 5/13/2020, 11:00am – 12:00pm
COURSE #3B – Wednesday, 5/20/2020, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Employability and Job-Seeking Enhancements for the Hospitality and Tourism Industry
This course is applicable to all participants who want to strengthen their competitiveness in the job market by learning how to craft a hospitality business-oriented resume, learn how to build networking opportunities, and ace the job interview.
Presenters: Dr. Robert J. Thompson, Chair, USA, Dept. of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
COURSE #4A – Thursday, 5/14/2020, 11:00am – 12:00pm
COURSE #4B – Thursday, 5/21/2020, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Stress Less through Financial Wellness Management
This course helps participants faced with unemployment to learn how to get help and manage debt while coping with a job loss. It is also applicable to those who want to become better employees at work by reducing distracting financial woes.
Presenter: Ms. Gayla Land, Vice President, Financial Wellness Relationship Manager
South AL/FL Panhandle, Regions Bank.
COURSE #5A – Friday, 5/15/2020, 11:00am – 12:00pm
COURSE #5B – Friday, 5/22/2020, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Be a Cultural Tourism Ambassador for Mobile
This course enhances one’s knowledge of Mobile - its history, its cultural heritage and tourist attractions – that will enable customer facing hospitality employees to win over visitors and add value to their experience. Participants of this course will receive an additional certificate of recognition from Visit Mobile.
Presenters: Ms. Tara Zieman, Director of Marketing & Communications and Mr. David Clark, President/CEO, Visit Mobile.
Once you have registered for a class, you will receive an email that will provide you with the Zoom Meeting ID and dial-in access information for that course.
Test your equipment (computer, microphone, webcam) prior to the session. Also, if it is your first-time using Zoom, please go through the Zoom tutorials prior to attending your first Zoom session.
During a Zoom session, please mute your microphone and webcam to optimize the session’s internet stability and to eliminate background noise disturbance during the class session.
Presenters will use Poll, Chat, and Raise Your Hand tools to engage with participants during the session.
Should your internet access drops during the class session, just log off and log in again. Zoom will have a documentation of your re-entry for proof of participation and attendance.
Once your participation has been verified, you will receive a .pdf copy of your USA Mobile Strong in Hospitality & Tourism Certificate of Completion. This certificate will be your ticket to participate in the Mobile Strong in Hospitality and Tourism Job Fair. It will also add professional development value to your resume.
Likewise, if you successfully complete the Mobile Strong Ambassador course (Course 5A or 5B), you will also be issued a .pdf copy of the Visit Mobile Certificate of Recognition.
Do I have to pay to participate?
No, the registration is free. The Mobile Strong in Hospitality & Tourism Certification is sponsored by the City of Mobile in collaboration with the University of South Alabama, Visit Mobile and other contributing business partners.
Can I attend the same course in a different series if I miss the original course I signed up for or cannot attend due to scheduling conflict?
Yes, but first-time registrants will have priority over you. If our registration record shows that you have enrolled in the same course in Series A, your registration will be wait-listed until all new registrants have enrolled and there are seats availability.
What if I am one course shy of completing the Certification and I cannot get into another course?
Unfortunately, we will not be able to issue you a Certificate of Completion. Going through a Certification, like a job, requires commitment and time management. However, we believe that even without the recognition of a tangible certificate, the courses taken would add value to your personal and professional development.
The Certification will be offered twice over a two-week period. The first series (A series) will begin May 11 through May 15, 2020. The second series (B series) will be offered the following week, from May 18 – May 22, 2020. “A” series classes will meet online 11:00 am – 12:00pm, and “B” series classes will meet online 4:00pm – 5:00pm.