Page 46 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2017

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY please & thank you
TRA NING FORTourism:
Community College Teaches Hospitality
story by Lisa Kröger
photos courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
The Mississippi Gulf Coast thrives on tourists, who flock to our
beaches, restaurants, and attractions. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) is training students to cater to those visitors.
Taryn Flynt, a hospitality and
tourism instructor at MGCCC, says the school is looking for “students who are outgoing and sociable, students who want to be hospitable and to be that image of what people see the South as.” Students who don’t have these skills will grow into them through the program.
The program offers two different degrees: Hotel and Restaurant Management, and Travel and Tourism Management. After thirty credit hours, students will earn a certificate. After forty-five hours, a diploma is given, and students can earn an associate degree upon completion of sixty hours.
Flynt says the program’s strength lies in its small size and hands-on approach to learning: “We have lecture-based classes. We have field trips to see different industry experts. We’ve gone to places like the IP to
talk to their meeting planners. We’ve had human resources directors come and talk to our students about what is expected of them and offer tips for the industry.”
In addition to classes, students also participate in an internship, which can lead to a job following graduation. “We do everything from management skills to entry-level position skills in the industry,” says Flynt. “It’s not just classroom experience.”
One of the benefits of a program like this one is that these students will graduate and go to work in local restaurants, hotels, casinos, and other attractions. “This program is
a positive force on the Gulf Coast,” she says. “Not only are we educating the students on skills, but we are also educating them on the area.”
MGCCC attracts a variety of students. Some arrive immediately following high school graduation, but many students are nontraditional, such as retired military or people who are looking for a career change. To apply for one of the hospitality programs, contact MGCCC.
MGCCC students training in the Hospitality program.
46 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2017
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
www.mgccc.edu 228.896.2536