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By Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association,
Expanding access to hospitality careers across Oregon through training, community partnerships, and industry engagement.
At the Oregon Hospitality Foundation (OHF), we are always looking out for new opportunities to increase access to hospitality career excellence. Training is a large piece of the puzzle in preparing the workforce for hospitality jobs and advancement through this industry’s pipeline. We see examples of effective training in Food Handler Certifications, ServSafe Manager Training, ProStart high school programming, and much more. In the University space, OHF has many excellent partners across the state that are working to train the next generation of hospitality.
Linfield University’s Center for Wine Education [6], for example, is making great strides to increase access to its hospitality programming by partnering with local community-based organization Unidos Bridging Community [7]. This organization is a Latinx-led nonprofit serving Yamhill County with a mission to foster the reciprocity of knowledge, connections, and opportunities among individuals and families of Latin American roots. Linfield University and Unidos Bridging Community have partnered to expand access to wine education and career pathways for Latinx students in Yamhill County. Together, they are offering several one-time scholarships of $3,000 or more to eligible students pursuing a wine studies degree in June 2026.
Linfield University’s Center for Wine Education aims to cultivate future wine industry leaders by fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation through a holistic, immersive education. Located in Yamhill County, they harness the power of this world-renowned wine region to create that immersive experience. Though they offer an excellent Wine Studies program, for existing industry members looking for professional development opportunities, they offer the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) program [8]. WSET courses are designed to inspire and empower anyone looking to develop their wine knowledge.
Linfield’s ability to tap into the local hospitality community is an excellent example of the power that industry-informed education holds.
OHF has opportunities for operators in all facets of the industry, from restaurants to hotels, and beyond, to help shape and inform our workforce. Career fairs and speaking events are just one way that we engage in this kind of work. For those interested, we curate a list of opportunities that are searching for more hospitality presence.
Interested in getting involved? Browse our career events [9] list and contact Rebecca Donley [10] for more information. | Ella Sturdevant, Oregon Hospitality Foundation