Lakes Region Community College helping to train, certify restaurant workers

LACONIA — Lakes Region Community College and the six other colleges in the state’s Community College System have teamed up to help eating establishments certify that their staff has been trained in COVID-related safety precautions.

The “NH Promise” program, created by the Community College System and the NH Lodging & Restaurant Association, provides free online training customized to address best practices developed by public health authorities as well as to meet New Hampshire-specific requirements. The goal is to build consumer confidence in the industry and reassure a cautious public that they are safe going out to eat this winter.

The program is designed for use by restaurants, and other food service businesses such as bakeries and coffee shops.

“Establishments can put their employees through the training easily, and individuals who are job-seeking can do this training on their own to have the credential when they apply for jobs,” said Lakes Region Community College President Larissa Ruiz Baía.

Faculty at Lakes Region, White Mountains Community College and Nashua Community college — all with hospitality-related programs — collaborated to develop the training.

“We want people to know we are doing everything we can to provide a safe environment for patrons and visitors, and we have learned a great deal over the last six months of operating during this pandemic,” said Mike Somers, president of the Restaurant & Lodging Association, a trade group. “While restaurants have been able to remain open through the winter months, as the mild weather approaches, we hope this program boosts confidence in on-site dining.”

The free online training can be completed by employees in a matter of hours. Those who successfully complete the program will be awarded a certificate from the Community College System.

Establishments where at least 25 percent of front-line staff and all supervisors earn the certification will be awarded a NH Promise decal to display on site which will serve as an indication of their collective commitment to staff and customer safety.

The NH Promise program is delivered through a set of self-paced online modules to be offered by CCSNH to hospitality sector employees. It is intended for current hospitality employees as well as those looking to re-enter the field.

In addition to providing support to the lodging and restaurant industry in New Hampshire, College officials believe this model can be expanded to other industries to meet credentialing needs and workforce development opportunities related to the “new normal” communities may be facing with COVID-19 and the possibility of other infectious illnesses.

The Common Man family of restaurants was the first to embrace the concept of this program and enroll several staff from locations all over the state to take the course offering. So far more than 30 percent of all management and servers in the Common Man family have completed the course requirements, meaning all 21 retail locations have staff on hand who have been trained in NH Promise.

"The health and well-being of our guests and our team members has always been a priority for The Common Man Family, and that concern has only grown due to the pandemic," said Sean Brown, chief operations officer for The Common Man. "The NH Promise program has given us an additional layer of education and awareness that we can share with our team members to enhance the already strong safety protocols we have in place and use each day. We're all relieved to see the number of cases and hospitalizations drop. As vaccination numbers rise, we can finally see light at the end of this long tunnel. However, it’s critical for our industry to continue to be vigilant and keep focusing on the strong safety protocols contained in the NH Promise program. Our restaurants will continue to take the greatest level of care possible to provide a safe environment for team members and guests alike, to ensure a safe and enjoyable dining experience for all."