Tourism course gives Hillsborough students a chance to enter critical Florida industry

Training new tourism leaders in the Bay Area

Some Hillsborough County high schools are offering a certificate in Travel and Tourism in hopes of attracting more people to the hospitality industry.

TAMPA - It’s not your typical high school class, but it's a course that gives students like 17-year-old Kendall Alford an inside track to achieving their dreams.

"I’m able to know what goes on behind the scenes," she said. " I’m able to know more about what goes into that."

Kendall and her classmates are earning a certificate in Travel and Tourism. Here in our area, all the hotels and restaurants are just a slice of the industry.

"The industry is broad. Everybody thinks of hotels and restaurants, but we're talking about retail and sports, film, cruise ships, airlines, airports. It's vast, it's broad," said Santiago Corrada, CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. "We want to make sure young people understand we have all those opportunities right out of high school."

It’s Corrada’s job to bring tourists and conventions to Tampa and Hillsborough County, but on this day his pitch is to students at Hillsborough High. He says jobs are waiting.

"Who likes going on a cruise ship or staying in a hotel?" he asks the students with a smile. "Imagine doing that and getting paid."

Visit Tampa Bay gave a $1,000 check for the Travel and Tourism program at this school, one of four high schools in Hillsborough County where kids can earn a certificate that could get them a good job in hospitality without a college degree.

"There's an example they gave, of a guy with a high school diploma who got into general management making $200,000 a year," says Van Ayres, Superintendent for Hillsborough County Public Schools. "We have 900 students involved in these programs. We have four high schools for hospitality and tourism certificates."

It’s perfect for Kendall, who hopes to go into Sports Management. With college optional, the next stop for students in this Tourism and Travel program could be a good job in Florida’s largest industry.

Many high schools in Hillsborough County offer courses in Tourism and Travel. The certificate program is offered at Hillsborough, Gaither, Sumner and Plant City High Schools.

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