As two brand-new hotels at Park Central near completion, the hotel’s development and operating team is readying to launch an innovative new workforce training program on site.
Grand Canyon University (GCU); the City of Phoenix; the developers of Park Central, Plaza Companies, Holualoa Companies; and hotel operator Fayth Hospitality are joining together to initiate the Park Central Hospitality Training program. The innovative new workforce training program is bringing together a public-private-university partnership to train workers in the hospitality industry.
The program begins this fall when construction is complete and the two new hotels — Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton at Park Central — celebrate their grand opening in October.
GCU’s renowned Hospitality Management program and Fayth Hospitality designed an eight-week cross-departmental rotation training program. This initiative will equip aspiring hospitality professionals with essential skills, including technology, guest service, marketing, community ambassadorship, and collaboration with local partners. The work experience for the Hospitality Training Program will occur at the dual-branded hotels.
“I am pleased to see this new workforce development program bring valuable opportunities to our community, teaching essential hospitality skills and creating on-the-job work experience,” said City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay. “This partnership between Fayth Hospitality, Park Central, GCU, and the City of Phoenix will help further economic growth and create new employment opportunities in the central city.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to help develop the next generation of hospitality workers, create new jobs, and continue to elevate our community,” said Greg Fay, Managing Partner of Fayth Hospitality. “We extend our gratitude to Grand Canyon University for their support and invaluable partnership, enabling us to bring this vision to fruition.”
The Park Central hotels will support individuals traveling to the PHOENIX MEDICAL QUARTER for treatment and services at Barrow Neurological Institute, Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, as well as a place for family and friends of Creighton University Health Sciences Campus students and faculty. The hotels will add 207 total guest rooms, spanning five stories and covering 105,000 square feet.
Upon completing the program, participants will gain invaluable firsthand work experience and benefit from job placement assistance.
“I am truly grateful to all of the stakeholders involved in this workforce initiative to develop an intern program to train future leaders in the hospitality industry. Our students will have the unique opportunity to gain real-world experience in multiple departments and roles within hotel operations under the guidance of an exceptional leadership team,” said Jennifer Elfenbein, Ph.D., CHE, Chair of Hospitality Management, Colangelo College of Business at Grand Canyon University.
“We are proud to work with our partners to expand workforce training opportunities and incorporate hospitality training at the new hotels at Park Central,” said Sharon Harper, Chairman and CEO of Plaza Companies spearheading the Park Central revitalization alongside Holualoa Companies. “Park Central is a hub for jobs and economic growth, and these new hotels will be invaluable assets, catering to Creighton University medical students, faculty, families, business travelers, patients, and families traveling for treatment in the PHOENIX MEDICAL QUARTER while enhancing our community’s employment prospects.”
The construction, leisure, and hospitality industries are in the top five of the fastest growing industries in Arizona and will see over 20% increase in employment by 20312. The Park Central Hospitality Training program follows the pilot of the construction training program that was in partnership with South Mountain Community College and Layton Construction.
Plaza Companies and Tucson’s Holualoa Companies have teamed up to redevelop Park Central, once the city’s first large-scale shopping mall, into a vibrant nearly 500,000-square-foot bustling community destination ideal for playing, working, congregating, and celebrating the arts.
The new, dual-branded hotels will combine features and perks from both brands. Home2 Suites is a pet-friendly, extended-stay hotel offering complimentary breakfast, in-suite kitchens, and other extended stay amenities. Tru by Hilton, meanwhile, provides an interactive game room, multimedia areas, and a 24/7 market where guests can grab snacks, coffee, and other beverages and light bites. The hotels will share a rooftop pool and ground-floor fitness center.
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