North Idaho College

NIC program plays to area strength: hospitality. By Kaye Thornbrugh

Summer is here and Coeur d’Alene is filled with tourists. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, the Coeur d’Alene Casino, Silverwood, and dozens of restaurants and other businesses are flooded with patrons — and that’s just the summer rush.

In an area like Coeur d’Alene, the hospitality industry is king — and the Hospitality Management program at North Idaho College is tailor-made to prepare students for new careers.

“We’re in a tourism Mecca here in Coeur d’Alene,” said Angela White, instructor of the Hospitality Management program. “Our area thrives on tourism in the summer.”

Hospitality is more than just hotels. The hospitality industry is the nation’s and the world’s biggest employer, including restaurants, lodging, theme parks, cruise lines and more. Though a degree is not necessary to work in the hospitality industry, White said, it can jump-start a career. At NIC, they’re not making servers. They’re making managers.

“Our goal is not to teach you how to be a host or a server,” White said. “The idea is to look at something higher on that scale as you’re working your way up to the top.”

With a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, White began working as a restaurant manager at age 24. Other managers at the same restaurant had spent years working their way up to the position. Earning a degree or certificate in Hospitality Management can make climbing the industry ladder much faster.

“Education helps you jump past some of those entry-level positions,” White said. “It gets your foot in the door.”

NIC’s two-year Hospitality Management program offers an associate degree or an advanced technical certificate option. Most of the coursework is the same for both the degree and the certificate; however, the advanced technical certificate does not require math or English courses. Students can also earn one-year certificates in Food and Beverage and in Lodging.

The associate degree transfers smoothly to Lewis-Clark State College. Students can earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management without ever leaving Coeur d’Alene.

For Ashley Adams, a current student in the program, hospitality isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. She loves helping to create a satisfying experience for guests.

“There’s nothing like being able to make a guest’s day,” she said. “Getting to be part of someone’s vacation means so much.”

Adams graduated from the Resort Academy, a two-year program in Lodging Management offered by KTEC. She enrolled in NIC’s Hospitality Management program and already has a job at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.

The program at NIC blends classroom instruction with hands-on instruction.

“It’s been phenomenal,” Adams said. “You can do anything in a class and read it in a textbook, but NIC gives you the opportunity to not only have the classroom experience, but also to go out and work in the industry.”

After she earns her degree in Hospitality Management from NIC, Adams said she plans to shoot “straight to the top.”

“It’s the experience that takes you the farthest,” Adams said. “When you have the program under your belt and experience, you’ll rise to the top over dozens of applicants.”

More information on the program can be found at www.nic.edu by clicking on the “Instructional Programs” link and selecting “Hospitality” from the drop-down menu.

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