HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Commissioner Russell-Letter from Mike HillLocd 3 55
For the American Rescue Plan discussion on Thursday's City of Miami Special meeting agenda:
The City of Miami's hospitality and tourism workforce was the hardest hit industry by the COVID-19
pandemic. Thousands of families remain laid off as their employers closed their doors over the last year.
For the industry to build back, there needs to be investment in convention and group business, which
will be the last to recover, and health literacy for the hospitality workforce. As the City Commission
discusses how best to utilize Rescue Plan money, we suggest investing resources in these two areas:
1. Invest in the redevelopment of the Knight Center and Hyatt Regency.
Pre -pandemic, the Hyatt Regency and Knight Center were working with the City to plan and
execute a redevelopment of the site on City owned land. The Knight Center is the only
convention center facility in the City of Miami and has the potential to compete for business as
the industry builds back. There is a Tong -term hospitality workforce that has dedicated years to
serving our Miami guests. Helping to incentivize this redevelopment will ensure that Miami
benefits from large group business.
2. Allocate resources to Hospitality Employees Advancement and Training (HEAT, Inc.) for Health
Literacy and Job Training programs
Two major obstacles to our hospitality workforce recovering are health literacy and skills
training. Hospitality Employees Advancement and Training is a 501c(3) training center located it
Overtown. HEAT is funded through partnerships with employers like Hyatt, Marriott, the
Fontainebleau, Levy Restaurants at Marlins Park, and others. HEAT is also partially funded by
the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency.
HEAT will run health literacy programs focused on two areas: vaccine education and health and
safety training. HEAT will execute an outreach program to combat the skepticism about the
vaccine and its' safety, as well as train our City's hospitality workforce on how to keep safe while
serving thousands of guests.
As the hospitality industry recovers, it is also desperately seeking new employees. After a year
of layoff, many former employees have left the hospitality industry or South Florida
altogether. The industry is currently paralyzed by the lack of qualified and trained
applicants. HEAT will recruit and train an entirely new cadre of workers to enter the
industry. The training center is poised to continue its successful culinary training program and
will recruit and train applicants to meet the hospitality employers needs in all job classifications.
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