SURVEY: What credentials do you value most when hiring young adults for entry-level positions

Did you know only 28 percent of Louisiana’s high school students earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in college, according to the Louisiana Department of Education?  As a result of this information, Jump Start was created, the state’s new program for school districts, colleges and businesses to collaborate to provide career courses and workplace experiences to high school students, certifying them for the career fields most likely to lead to high-paying jobs—without college.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s staff has been diligently involved in marrying the ProStart and Jump Start programs together to meet the needs of Louisiana restaurants. By 2020, at the current rate of growth, Louisiana’s restaurant industry will add an additional 17,400 new positions. There are currently 52 ProStart programs statewide with more than 1,500 students enrolled for the 2014-2015 school year.

ProStart, the LRAEF’s two-year high school, culinary arts and restaurant management curriculum is designed to serve a dual purpose--deliver to post-secondary hospitality management and culinary programs and to deliver students directly to positions in Louisiana restaurants. The latter directly addresses the needs of industry, the 72 percent of students that do not go on to post-secondary studies and thus, the reason the Jump Start program was created.

The Jump Start team is enlisting the support of industry leaders across the state to complete a survey on Jump Start Credentials. The objective of this online survey is to get input from business leaders across Louisiana about the credentials they value the most when hiring young adult for entry-level positions. 

This survey will take no more than 10 minutes (we've tested it!), and will provide Jump Start Regional Teams around the state with the information they need to help students graduate with both a solid academic foundation and the credentials they need to attain employment. 

We encourage Louisiana restaurateurs of all sizes to click on the link here to take this survey.