October 2007
By Dale J. Venturini
President/CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association
Recently, the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association hosted the Workforce Economic Summit to provide a real look at the labor and immigration situation affecting the industry.
The hospitality and tourism industry continues to outpace other industries in Rhode Island in terms of job growth, and finding quality employees is already a challenge business owners are facing. The situation is only going to get worse. Over the next decade, the National Restaurant Association projects that the number of jobs in the foodservice segment will grow one and a half times as fast as the U.S. labor force. At the same time, the number of 16- to 24-year-olds in the labor force -- half our industry’s workforce – is expected to be stagnant.
The Workforce Economic Summit provided a look at the current labor pool available to business owners in Rhode Island. The Association works very closely with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training to identify skill sets needed in the hospitality industry and how best to train. We are working to develop programs to both train and retrain workers; to get them off the welfare roles and into good paying jobs with growth potential. It continues to be a challenge, and one that is finding more and more reliance on immigrant labor.
The foodservice and lodging industry is the top private sector employer of immigrant workers. In fact, the National Restaurant Association estimates that more than one quarter of managers in the foodservice segment of the industry are foreign-born.
Unfortunately, our immigration system does not reflect America's need for workers. Our nation’s economy provided 134 million jobs last year, yet the federal government makes only 10,000 green cards available for service-industry workers each year. We are struggling to find people to fill the positions in our restaurants, hotels and attractions.
The hospitality industry, like this country, was built on the dreams and hard work of immigrants. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants have come to the U.S. and started a career in restaurants or opened their own hospitality businesses – which are the cornerstones of our local economy. Unlike our forefathers, the new wave of immigrant worker faces an antiquated legal system, which has resulted in a growing number of illegal immigrants working and hiding in the shadows of our society.
Under no circumstance should a business knowingly employ illegal immigrants. But, until the politicians in Washington can put politics aside and take a comprehensive look and approach to immigration policies, the problem will only worsen, as business owners look at new ways to find employees.
The National Restaurant Association is taking the lead in the national debate on immigration, and has supported a comprehensive approach to strengthen our borders, provide a mechanism for employers to hire from abroad when U.S. workers are not available, and create a program for the undocumented to earn green cards.
The immigration situation is not going to get any easier in the near future. Sweeping changes are needed to in order find solutions and the Association supports Congress taking a realistic approach. It is not realistic to require 11 million individuals to go home. This would disrupt our economy and risk stranding our workers abroad while simultaneously creating a disincentive for them to come forward. The Association also further does not support the permanent caste of second-class workers, legal or illegal. We must find a way for these workers to come forward and participate in a program that lets them earn permanent residency and eventual citizenship.
Until these changes are made, business owners must be vigilant in their employment practices. Working with an immigration and labor expert to protect your business is as important as any workforce training program.
By Dale J. Venturini
President/CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association
Recently, the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association hosted the Workforce Economic Summit to provide a real look at the labor and immigration situation affecting the industry.
The hospitality and tourism industry continues to outpace other industries in Rhode Island in terms of job growth, and finding quality employees is already a challenge business owners are facing. The situation is only going to get worse. Over the next decade, the National Restaurant Association projects that the number of jobs in the foodservice segment will grow one and a half times as fast as the U.S. labor force. At the same time, the number of 16- to 24-year-olds in the labor force -- half our industry’s workforce – is expected to be stagnant.
The Workforce Economic Summit provided a look at the current labor pool available to business owners in Rhode Island. The Association works very closely with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training to identify skill sets needed in the hospitality industry and how best to train. We are working to develop programs to both train and retrain workers; to get them off the welfare roles and into good paying jobs with growth potential. It continues to be a challenge, and one that is finding more and more reliance on immigrant labor.
The foodservice and lodging industry is the top private sector employer of immigrant workers. In fact, the National Restaurant Association estimates that more than one quarter of managers in the foodservice segment of the industry are foreign-born.
Unfortunately, our immigration system does not reflect America's need for workers. Our nation’s economy provided 134 million jobs last year, yet the federal government makes only 10,000 green cards available for service-industry workers each year. We are struggling to find people to fill the positions in our restaurants, hotels and attractions.
The hospitality industry, like this country, was built on the dreams and hard work of immigrants. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants have come to the U.S. and started a career in restaurants or opened their own hospitality businesses – which are the cornerstones of our local economy. Unlike our forefathers, the new wave of immigrant worker faces an antiquated legal system, which has resulted in a growing number of illegal immigrants working and hiding in the shadows of our society.
Under no circumstance should a business knowingly employ illegal immigrants. But, until the politicians in Washington can put politics aside and take a comprehensive look and approach to immigration policies, the problem will only worsen, as business owners look at new ways to find employees.
The National Restaurant Association is taking the lead in the national debate on immigration, and has supported a comprehensive approach to strengthen our borders, provide a mechanism for employers to hire from abroad when U.S. workers are not available, and create a program for the undocumented to earn green cards.
The immigration situation is not going to get any easier in the near future. Sweeping changes are needed to in order find solutions and the Association supports Congress taking a realistic approach. It is not realistic to require 11 million individuals to go home. This would disrupt our economy and risk stranding our workers abroad while simultaneously creating a disincentive for them to come forward. The Association also further does not support the permanent caste of second-class workers, legal or illegal. We must find a way for these workers to come forward and participate in a program that lets them earn permanent residency and eventual citizenship.
Until these changes are made, business owners must be vigilant in their employment practices. Working with an immigration and labor expert to protect your business is as important as any workforce training program.
