NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and the Marriott Foundation Establish The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Workforce Apprenticeship Fund

New $5 Million Fund to Help Build New Career Pathways into Hospitality for NYU Associate Degree Students

NEW YORK, March 3, 2025 – Today, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation (JWASM Foundation) announced the establishment of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Workforce Apprenticeship Fund. The $5 million Fund will help the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality create, implement, and support an innovative program to prepare NYS SPS associate degree students for careers in hospitality.

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Workforce Apprenticeship Fund will attract students or skilled professionals seeking their first undergraduate credential for the hospitality industry, where they can work as apprentices as a means to prepare for their academic journey at NYU. This apprenticeship program will allow students to earn up to 30 credits for skills learned on the job toward a new Associate Degree in Hospitality from NYU SPS.

Upon completing the remaining academic credits in the new associate degree, either online or in person, students will be prepared for full-time jobs in the hospitality sector. They will also have the option to continue their studies toward an NYU SPS bachelor’s degree.

“Our Workforce Apprentice Program will provide students significant hands-on professional experience and networking opportunities while earning academic credits toward an associate degree at NYU SPS,” said Nicolas Graf, Jonathan M. Tisch Chaired Professor and associate dean of the NYU SPS Tisch Center for Hospitality. “We are thankful for the Marriott Foundation’s generous donation to help reduce barriers to entry and build a robust pipeline of skilled hospitality professionals through engaging applied learning opportunities, professional mentoring, lower tuition costs, and seamless links to earn degrees.”

“We expect programs like this to be engines of economic opportunity and growth for students, employers, and global destinations, such as New York City,” said Mieka Wick, the Foundation’s chief executive officer. “We look forward to working with the NYU SPS Tisch Center for Hospitality to make these career opportunities a reality while helping to address an industry-wide need for well-prepared and dedicated early-career employees with aspirations to grow and develop in this opportunity–rich industry. We celebrate New York’s commitment to apprenticeships as a meaningful pathway to full-time employment.”

In addition to The JWASM Foundation, AHEAD, the AHLA Foundation, and leading hospitality firms will collaborate with NYU to develop the program’s practice-oriented curriculum and experiential initiative and create meaningful and inspiring apprenticeship positions that promote more rapid entry, professional satisfaction, and sustained employment in hospitality and tourism.

Brian Barker, clinical associate professor at the NYU SPS Tisch Hospitality Center, has been named the inaugural Executive Director–Apprenticeship & Workforce Development, with responsibility for directing and managing efforts for the Tisch Center’s Workforce Apprentice Program across NYU SPS and its industry partners. With over two decades of experience in hospitality and academic leadership, Professor Barker has had a notable career. He has held an Endowed Professorship at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. He has also served as an operational manager for the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts in Philadelphia and Miami.

Career-Connected, Skill-Based, Market-Aligned Learning for Today’s Higher Ed Students

Angie Kamath, Dean of NYU SPS and Mayor-Appointed Member of the NYC Workforce Development Board, said, “Today’s higher education student is redefining the adult and professional education paradigm dramatically. Industry and post-secondary education are shifting from credentials to more diverse pathways for career-connected and skill-based learning, such as apprenticeships.”

In January 2023, NYC Mayor Eric Adams introduced his Apprenticeship Accelerator, which aims to connect 30,000 New Yorkers to apprenticeships by 2030. According to the New York City Apprenticeship Landscape Report, prepared by Accenture for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Talent & Workforce Development, primary apprenticeship occupations have traditionally been in construction and building trades. However, there is growing momentum for apprenticeships nationwide in healthcare, the public sector, hospitality, and other industries.

“The mission of NYU SPS is to provide hands-on career-connected learning to students looking to enter or advance in their careers,” said Kamath. “We value our relationships with industry partners like the Marriott Foundation to help embrace new ways of learning. By blending apprenticeships with relevant academic credentials, we are working together to create valuable opportunities for our students and a skilled workforce for employers.”

Visit the NYU SPS Associate Degree in Hospitality webpage for more information about this degree program. Applications for the Spring 2026 associate degree in hospitality, as well as all NYU SPS undergraduate degree programs, are now available on the NYU SPS Undergraduate Application Center webpage. Students do not have to participate in an apprenticeship program to apply.

About the NYU School of Professional Studies
Established in 1934, NYU SPS is an internationally recognized university that offers diverse students access and opportunity to practical, real-world preparation to thrive in their careers while building the next generation of industry leaders ready to embrace tomorrow’s innovations and challenges and lead change in global workplaces.

The NYU SPS global community is made up of industry professionals, doers, and trailblazers shaping the future of industries, positioning the School as an idea incubator and innovative center for various fields, including real estate, hospitality, global affairs, sports business, integrated marketing, HR, professional writing, and more.

Today, NYU SPS offers one of the most diverse portfolios of educational offerings at NYU, including graduate degrees, bachelor’s degrees for traditional and degree completion students, associate degrees, continuing education courses, and certificate programs.

About The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation
The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation is dedicated to fostering equitable, sustainable, and thriving communities by partnering with extraordinary nonprofit organizations to solve today’s most pressing challenges, address root causes, and seek transformational change. Founded in 1966, The Foundation pursues and invests in solutions to strengthen the vitality and vibrancy of the Washington, DC, region—our core geographic area of grantmaking—and actively engages with the community and partners across industries and sectors to drive the greatest impact. At the heart of our grantmaking is stewarding the principles and values of the founders J. Williard and Alice Sheets Marriott. www.jwasmarriottfoundation.org