About The Hospitality Education Foundation

The not-for-profit (501)(c)(3) Arkansas Hospitality Education Foundation (HEF) provides professional development for tomorrow's hospitality leaders.

The HEF works with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), the American Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Foundation (AH&LAEF) and others to offer apprenticeship, scholarship and training opportunities through the ProStart (Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts) program and the Lodging Management Program (LMP).

Hospitality is the fastest-growing industry in the United States and is facing a shortage of trained managers with restaurant and lodging experience.  With more than 76,000 job opeings for lodging and food service managers every year, students are sure to find a position where they can develop a meaningful and exciting career.

Hospitality Industry Statistics and Facts:

• The hospitality industry encompasses restaurants, lodging, travel and tourism
• The hospitality industry is the second largest industry in the state of Arkansas
• The hospitality industry employs over 100,00 individuals
• Direct spending was $5.5 billion last year
• Nationwide, the hospitality industry is a $550 billion dollar industry
• 2 million jobs are projected to be created over the next decade
• In 2008, there were 14,900 lodging jobs, providing $402.3 million in employee wages
• Between now and 2014, there will be a 14% job growth in all levels of the lodging industry
• Between now and 2014, there will be a 27% job growth for lodging managers

The Lodging Management Program provides teachers with everything needed to prepare your students to succeed in an industry that offers unlimited opportunities, including hospitality internships so students can apply what they learn in the classroom.

The ProStart (Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts) gives high school students a taste for success in the restaurant and foodservice industry by blending both classroom learning and work experience to produce the culinary and management leaders of tomorrow.  The program sets the standard for introducing high school students to a rewarding career in the restaurant and foodservice industry--the cornerstone of our nation's career-and-employment opportunities.