Omni Louisville Hotel's partnership with the Academies of Louisville (AofL) showcases their commitment to nurturing local talent and strengthening the city's hospitality industry. At the forefront of this initiative is Erica Bailey, the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage, whose insights as a Fern Creek High School graduate bring a unique perspective to the collaboration.

*Dr. Marty Polio (JCPS), Sarah Davasher-Wisdom (GLI), and Michael Gritton (KentuckianaWorks) present Erica Bailey (Omni) with the Five-Year AofL Business Partnership Award.*

Erica emphasizes the importance of mentorship in shaping young careers: "I believe in the power of a mentor who believes in you." This philosophy underpins Omni's approach to working with AofL students. She adds, "I'm going to be honest with them. Many students feel hopeless as they approach graduation. They don't know how far they can go with hard work."

Erica’s life is a testimony to this. After majoring in Biology, she pursued a different path in the hospitality industry, receiving mentorship herself from Eamon O’Brien, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Omni Louisville Hotel. Through his guidance, she became the first African American woman to serve as the general manager of a fine dining establishment in Kentucky.

Omni partners with Academies at both Southern High School and Fern Creek High School, offering students diverse experiences, like:

Professional panels featuring industry experts
Comprehensive hotel tours with interactive activities, including seek and finds and bowling
One-on-one interest-driven meetings between students and executives

These initiatives expose students to various career paths within hospitality, from marketing and engineering to real estate and accounting. "Hospitality is at the heart of most careers," Erica notes, highlighting the industry's versatility.

Erica and an Omni chef have visited Fern Creek High School's culinary facilities to offer industry-level recommendations for improvement. This collaboration aims to better align the school's resources with real-world hospitality standards, enhancing students' practical learning experiences.

The hotel's commitment extends beyond education to employment opportunities. With 404 associates and 50 current openings, Omni has already hired several AofL graduates. They offer a $15 base pay per hour and tuition reimbursement, supporting continued education and professional development.

Success stories abound, including Christina, a Southern High School Academy graduate now working as a cook in two of Omni's restaurants. Another recent success involves a high-performing bilingual student who secured a co-op position after reaching out to Omni. Erica’s team provided personalized guidance, helping the student secure a position that aligned perfectly with her skills and interests.

Erica's passion for the partnership is evident: "I can't tell you how much I love working with these students." This enthusiasm drives Omni's goal to create a stronger pipeline for local students to enter Louisville's hospitality industry.

Looking ahead, Omni aims to offer increased work opportunities for Louisville students. As Erica puts it, "No one is going to care about this space more than a Louisville born and bred," underscoring the importance of cultivating local talent. Omni plans to continue its current partnership into the coming year, also making job fairs and open positions more visible to current Academies students.

Through this partnership, Omni Louisville Hotel is not just filling job openings; they're actively shaping the future of Louisville's hospitality industry, one student at a time.

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