The Delaware Restaurant Association is partnering with Goldey-Beacom College to launch a new hospitality leadership program.
The Hospitality Leadership Advancement Program was developed in response to feedback from industry employers and HR leaders who see a gap in training for entry-level and mid-level managers.
Goldey-Beacom College’s Grant Coordinator Deanna Merritt says this will help those in the industry who lack access to opportunities to build skills needed for upper-level leadership.
"Beyond the training that they all get in the restaurant industry, they wanted to provide an opportunity for their employees to get college level training in a number of different areas so that they can manage what they're doing better in the restaurant industry, getting them better prepared for what their skills would demand of them," said Merritt.
The program features four courses, Desktop Applications, Personal Financial Management, Leadership & Organizational Behavior and either Group Dynamics or Argumentation & Negotiation.
Participants get a certificate from Goldey-Beacom College including 12 transferable college credits stackable towards degree programs and full access to the college’s services including career support, tutoring, academic advising and access to the college library.
"It's kind of our history. Goldey was started back in 1886 for the purpose of educating and upskilling the workforce for the greater Wilmington area,” said Goldey-Beacom College President Colleen Perry Keith. So we were formed to teach business principles and business penmanship."
Applications are open for classes that begin starting August 25 with a virtual orientation for the Fall 2025 cohort on August 12.