The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) and the Forum of Brazilian Hotel Operators (FOHB) have signed a cooperation agreement for further action to help build the professionalization of the hotel sector's workforce. Based in Sao Paulo, FOBH is associated with the top 25 Brazilian hotel chains and has a total of 600 hotel members representing 97,000 rooms: 14 percent upscale, 58 percent midscale, and 28 percent economy. With the partnership, employees from hotel chains associated with FOHB will have a 20 percent discount on courses offered for various levels of hospitality, including managers and supervisors, customer service, receptionists, servers, and others. All of the programs include professional certification through the Educational Institute.

"The United States is a reference for the global hospitality industry, a market where 70 percent of the hotels belong to networks, and FOHB aims to bring the expertise of EI for sector development in Brazil, with courses and quality materials for various areas of hospitality," said Roberto Rotter, chairman of FOHB.

The Educational Institute has more than 60 years of market experience and offers courses and training in hospitality and also operates in the book publishing segment, providing textbooks to the hotel management programs of large international universities. EI has more than 70 affiliates in 45 countries – North America, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Africa – and is the education and training arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA).

"This is a time of growth in the hospitality industry in Brazil. With the World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, there is a huge demand for qualified, trained hospitality workers. We are pleased to enter into this partnership with the FOHB to help them provide their associates with hospitality training and professional certification recognized worldwide," said Robert L. Steele III, CHA, president and COO of EI.

In addition to the agreement with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI), the FOHB also renewed its partnership with SENAC-SP and signed a new agreement with the Castelli – Escola Superior de Hotelaria, located in Canela, Rio Grande do Sul.

For more information on EI's global partners, visit www.ahlei.org/partners.

About the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI)

Established in 1953 as the nonprofit education and training arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), AHLEI's mission is to be the preferred provider of quality resources to educate, develop, and certify hospitality educators, students and professionals worldwide. AHLEI became part of the National Restaurant Association" Training & Certification division in 2017, connecting and leveraging the resources of two organizations that are deeply committed to a vision of career success and upward mobility for current and future hospitality, restaurant, and food service employees.

Elizabeth Johnson
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