Industry support leads to greater success for National Groundhog Job Shadow Day

On Feb. 2 more than a million young people had the invaluable experience of shadowing a working adult through a typical day on the job. The success of the third National Groundhog Job Shadow Day was due in considerable measure to the enthusiastic support of the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Thanks to the efforts of the National Restaurant Association, in partnership with the American Hotel & Motel Association, more than 2,000 restaurants and hotels welcomed tens of thousands of students in 47 states for job-shadowing experiences, a significant increase over last year's number.

I saw your commitment firsthand at a luncheon hosted by chief executive Jonathan Tisch at his Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. On Feb. 2 Loews hosted 35 job shadows. As I toured the hotel with my own two shadows for the day, I noticed that Tisch had a shadow, as did the bellboy, the manager, the maitre d' and the chef and kitchen staff who prepared the excellent meal we consumed. Mayor Anthony A. Williams of Washington, D.C., and the reigning Miss America, Heather french, also attended the event with their own job shadows.

The program included remarks by Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive of the National Restaurant Association, who spoke about the wide range of career opportunities in your industry. We also heard from A. Reed Hayes, president and chief operating officer of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, who talked about the job-training opportunities your industry is providing young people through the Hospitality Business Alliance.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day is part of a larger campaign for young people called America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth, which I chair. Since the organization was founded in 1997, the mission of America's Promise has been to endow the next generation of Americans with the character and competence they need to become successful adults. We achieve that goal by keeping five promises to our nation's young people. We promise that every youngster will get the following:

* An ongoing relationship with a caring adult, parent, mentor, tutor or coach

* A safe place with structured activities during nonschool hours

* A healthy start

* A marketable skill through effective education

* An opportunity to give back by serving the community

To keep those five promises, we are building a great national coalition of government, business, nonprofit associations, service groups and other organizations that care about the youth of America. National Groundhog Job Shadow Day is one example of that great coalition in action. School to Work, Junior Achievement, the American Society of Association Executives and, this year, Monster.com joined with America's Promise in organizing National Groundhog Job Shadow Day.

The restaurant industry, as the largest private-sector employer in the country, has a special interest in Groundhog Job Shadow Day and in America's Promise because all of you know the value of investing in young people: Many of them will be making their careers in your industry. Your commitment to youth is good for them and good for you as well. I salute you for your efforts this year, and I look forward to working with you in the year ahead. Let's make Groundhog Job Shadow Day 2001 an even bigger success than this year's event!

Gen. Colin L. Powell is chairman of America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth.

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