Can HMEF’s Education Strategy Pay Off for Maine’s Service Industry?

The state of Maine is preparing for continued demand to its hospitality industry, with tax data indicating it’s set to beat 2019’s $4 billion gross revenue record. Thought this is exciting for the industry at large, it also creates chokepoints in operations; Maine is surpassing gross revenue numbers with 13,000 less employees, according to the HospitalityMaine Education Foundation.

To make sure this growth isn’t squandered due to a lack of resources and operational capacity, the HMEF launched a training and career path program, Dirigo 2025, to support professionals looking to break into the service industry. This includes investments into culinary trade schools, on-the-job credits, and higher education certifications.

Sean Flynn, Chief Customer Officer at InStride, a continued education provider connecting businesses with flexible education paths, gave his insights on which of the channels HMEF is focusing on will be most useful for retaining and elevating service industry workers, and why.