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Marriott International and the University of Maryland's Support, Advocacy, Freedom and Empowerment Center for Human Trafficking Survivors are expanding the Future in Training Curriculum, which provides information and resources to survivors of human trafficking who are interested in a career in hospitality.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association's No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund awarded the SAFE Center with an inaugural grant to grow the curriculum across the country. The rollout will span 11 U.S. cities and is expected to train up to 150 people by July 2024.
Designed with input from survivor consultants and field experts, Marriott developed the FiT curriculum in collaboration with the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery in 2018. The program's seven modules teach foundational knowledge, such as presentation skills, teamwork, time management, relationship building and interviewing basics.
"We are proud to expand our commitment to survivors of human trafficking and deepen our antitrafficking efforts," said Anthony Capuano, president and CEO of Marriott International. "This curriculum helps fill a market-based need for talent and offers survivors access to skills-based training and meaningful careers in the hospitality industry."
Expanding Nationwide
The initiative builds on the pilot program that was implemented by the SAFE Center for Human Trafficking and three other service providers in Charlotte, N.C., Dallas and New York City. More than 60 survivors have gone through the training, and survey responses showed an increase in knowledge and confidence, as well as a 97 percent satisfaction rate with the pace and content.
To scale the program nationally, the SAFE Center will onboard 10 additional sites to implement the FiT curriculum in person and/or virtually, structuring the program based on the needs of the survivors they serve. All English and Spanish-speaking adults who receive services from the center and partner organizations will be eligible to participate.
"We have seen the profound effect hospitality training can have on survivors' well-being and autonomy," said Susan Esserman, SAFE Center’s founder and director. "We are immensely grateful to Marriott International for their innovative leadership in developing hospitality training for survivors."
Marriott introduced human trafficking–awareness training for its associates in 2016, and more than 1.1 million people have now been trained to spot the signs and respond to human trafficking. As of this year, more than 900,000 hospitality professionals outside of the company also have completed the free version of the training, which can be taken here.