Visit York County, the Destination Marketing Organization for York County, South Carolina, has launched the Hospitality & Civic Advancement Internship program to prepare students for leadership roles within the hospitality sector.

In an effort to advance inclusion efforts, the program will work with the Historically Black Colleges & University’s Hospitality Management (HBCU-HM) Consortium to connect students, many from HBCUs across the country, with hospitality and tourism career opportunities in York County. In an effort to strengthen our local hospitality programs, we will also be seeking participation from Winthrop University, York Technical College and Clinton College. Students will participate in a ten-week paid program in hospitality concentrations of: Sport and Event Management, Parks, Recreation, and Agritourism, as well as Hospitality and Event Management. Housing for students will be provided by our Preferred Hotel Program and Winthrop University.

In addition to skills learned on the job, students will participate in a weekly curriculum set by Visit York County, that introduces young professionals to the York County community, immerses them in local culture, and enhances preparedness for the workplace through career development, public arts, equity & inclusion and networking classes to name a few.

“This incredible internship opportunity offers awareness for our destination to potential talent, while offering students an opportunity to gain real world experience in the hospitality industry. Additionally, this program lays the groundwork to support a sustainable tourism ecosystem filled with a diverse and ready-to-work applicant pool for our partners,” said Visit York County President & CEO Billy Dunlap.

To support the initiative, Rock Hill Economic Development’s (RHEDC) Talent Pipeline Program will provide up to $7/hour of the hard costs related to wage funding required to support each local intern who is placed. RHEDC’s Talent Pipeline Program, which serves to foster the connection between students preparing for careers and local employers seeking specific skills, was recently expanded to provide greater opportunities for workforce and talent development in the area of hospitality and tourism, among other target industry sectors.

“This collaboration continues to model how we can come together to meet the needs of our community.  These internships are a great proactive response to the employment challenges we have been experiencing.  Creating such opportunities will help us strengthen our workforce and thereby our economy,” said RHEDC Chair, Dawn Johnson.

Participating employers include American Cornhole League, Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fish Market Bar & Grill, Hilton Garden Inn Rock Hill, and several other area businesses.

Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and faculty recommendation to info@visityorkcounty.com no later than February 15, 2022. To learn more, contact Mallory Snyder at msnyder@visityorkcounty.com.

Employers who are interested in learning more about the RHEDC’s Talent Pipeline Program should contact Cameryn Mitchell, Workforce & Talent Development Coordinator at cameryn.mitchell@cityofrockhill.com.