Hospitality Training Academy

What Hospitality Training Academy does

Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 2012 in Los Angeles, California, structured as a Taft-Hartley trust fund jointly governed by UNITE HERE Local 11 (representing 30,000+ hospitality workers) and contributing employers. HTA provides free culinary and hospitality training and registered apprenticeship programs — including Line Cook/Chef de Partie, Barista/Latte Art, Prep Cook (with an English Language Learner version), and the recently added Bartender/Mixologist program — preparing students from vulnerable populations (immigrants, formerly incarcerated individuals, people experiencing homelessness, youth in foster care, and veterans) for jobs in hotels, restaurants, stadiums, and theme parks. The organization is designated as the regional Hospitality Sector Intermediary by the LA County and City Workforce Development Boards and reports a 95%+ job placement rate, with over 13,000 people served since inception. The technology stack is non-proprietary: training is delivered in person at two Los Angeles kitchens (downtown and Koreatown), a Simulated Café/Barista Lab, and a Phoenix training site, with a bilingual English/Spanish website and newsletter as the only notable digital surface.

The business model is grant-and-contribution funded, not transaction-based. Revenue is sourced from federal, state, and local government workforce grants (U.S. Department of Labor, California Workforce Development Board, LA County Department of Economic Opportunity including a $1M High Road Training Partnerships grant in 2025 and a $570K California DIR Youth Apprenticeship grant), supplemented by employer contributions collected through union agreements under the Taft-Hartley trust structure. Training is provided at no cost to students, with all tools, knives, uniforms, and wraparound services (mental health, legal aid via Neighborhood Legal Services) covered. Distribution combines community-led outreach (Welfare to Work referrals, Goodwill, workforce development boards) with employer-driven demand from 170+ partner companies, including Marriott International, Compass Group/Levy Restaurants, Disneyland Resort, Legends Global (SoFi Stadium, LA Coliseum, BMO Stadium), USC, and Intuit Dome. The Board of Trustees blends labor (UNITE HERE Local 11 co-presidents and lead organizers) with management (senior executives from Marriott, Compass Group, USC Auxiliary Services, and Disneyland), embedding employer hiring demand directly into program design. Operations currently span Southern California and Arizona, with a national expansion underway through a 2023 U.S. DOL Critical Jobs grant and the July 2025 launch of a sub-grantee New York Culinary Education Center in the Bronx.

Name

Hospitality Training Academy

Legal name

Hospitality Industry Training & Education Fund (the Hospitality Training Academy)

Website

https://lahta.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, jointly governed by UNITE HERE Local 11 and employers, that provides free culinary and hospitality training plus registered apprenticeships (Line Cook, Barista, Bartender) to vulnerable populations, placing over 95% of graduates with 170+ employer partners across Southern California, Arizona, and now New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitality & Food Service (EDABALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional & Commercial Kitchen Training (Schools/Healthcare/Corporate) (EDAOAKAL), Food Safety, Sanitation & HACCP Training (EDAOAKAG)

Keywords

• Workforce development training
• Registered apprenticeship programs
• Hospitality job training
• Culinary arts education
• Nonprofit workforce services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: HTA operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through government grants from federal, state, and local workforce development agencies. Funding comes from the Department of Labor, California Workforce Development Board, LA County Department of Economic Opportunity, and other public sources.
2. Employer Contributions: As a Taft-Hartley trust fund, HTA receives contributions from employers who contribute to the Hospitality Industry Training and Education Fund through union agreements. These employer contributions support training program operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) provides free, Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training programs for jobs in culinary, food service, barista, bartender, and hospitality roles, with all tools, uniforms, and support services provided at no cost to students. The academy also offers wraparound support (case management, mental health, legal services) and direct job placement with 170+ employer partners in Southern California and Arizona.

Product overview

Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) offers free workforce training and registered apprenticeship programs for the hospitality, food service, leisure, and tourism industries. The core offerings include a Line Cook/Chef de Partie Registered Apprenticeship Program (providing ~2,000 hours of on-the-job training with over 95% job placement), the Barista/Latte Art Registered Apprenticeship Program (the first of its kind in the nation), and a Prep Cook Program (including English Language Learner versions). Supporting modules include ServSafe California Food Handler Certification (offered free to contributing employers) and the From Food Bank to Table video series. Training is delivered through facilities including a training kitchen in Koreatown, Los Angeles, a Barista Lab, and an Arizona office. HTA connects graduates with major hospitality employers across Southern California and Arizona.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Line Cook/Chef de Partie Registered Apprenticeship Program A U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program providing approximately 2,000 hours of on-the-job training for line cooks, combining practical culinary skills with workplace experience. Graduates become fully certified Line Cook apprentices with a 95%+ job placement rate into roles with employer partners.
• Barista/Latte Art Registered Apprenticeship Program The first registered apprenticeship program of its kind in the United States for baristas and latte artists. Trains coffee professionals in order-taking, pour techniques, and latte art mastery through simulated café practice.
• Prep Cook Program
• Bartender/Mixologist Registered Apprenticeship Program A registered apprenticeship program for bartenders/mixologists, developed by HTA and enabled by California AB 2378 legislation sponsored by HTA to permit educational tasting. Trained in mixology and bar operations for placement with hospitality employers.
• ServSafe California Food Handler Certification One-day certification course teaching responsible food handling practices required for all food workers in California. Offered free to all contributing employers as part of HTA's training programs.
• New York Culinary Education Center (Line Cook Apprenticeship) Sub-grantee culinary training center in the Bronx, New York, operated in partnership with HTA to deliver the Line Cook Registered Apprenticeship program to the New York/New Jersey market, expanding HTA's national footprint.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% of students have jobs waiting upon graduation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNITE HERE Local 11coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Joint governance partner through Taft-Hartley trust structure. UNITE HERE Local 11 represents 30,000+ hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona. Union co-trustees appointed to Board of Trustees.
• Legends GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaffing partnership for major sports and entertainment venues. HTA helps staff SoFi Stadium, LA Memorial Coliseum, BMO Stadium, and Long Beach Amphitheater with trained hospitality workers.
• Levy RestaurantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 10-year partnership for food service operations at Dodger Stadium and other venues. Levy and HTA collaborate on hiring events and training programs.
• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, and Sheraton properties in Los Angeles. Area GM Javier Cano serves on HTA Board of Trustees.
• USC (University of Southern California)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmploys HTA graduates in dining services across campus. Vice President Dan Stimmler serves on HTA Board of Trustees. USC Auxiliary Services oversees residential dining, catering, and hospitality operations.
• Compass GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Levy Restaurants and other food service divisions. Employs HTA graduates across portfolio of venues.
• Disneyland ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor employer partner. Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Larry Labrado serves on HTA Board of Trustees.
• Goodwill Southern CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for referring participants with employment barriers including youth, veterans, homeless individuals, people with disabilities, and ex-offenders.
• Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership providing free legal support, case management, public benefits assistance, housing rights, and legal resources to HTA students.
• Building Skills PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for advocacy and workforce development initiatives at the state level.
• Los Angeles City/County Workforce Development BoardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated as regional Hospitality Sector Intermediary, responsible for analyzing industry trends and coordinating sector partnerships.
• South Bay Workforce Investment BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for staffing Intuit Dome and other South Bay venues.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DC Central Kitchen: Washington DC-based nonprofit that combines free culinary job training for underserved adults with a large social enterprise catering operation. Directly comparable to HTA in combining culinary-skills training, employer placement, and wraparound services for vulnerable populations.
• LA Kitchen: Los Angeles-based nonprofit culinary training program focused on formerly incarcerated and foster youth, with strong employer placement. Operates in HTA's home geography with an almost identical target population and mission, making it a head-to-head local peer.
• STRIVE: National workforce development nonprofit providing free training and job placement to individuals facing barriers to employment. Comparable in mission, employer-partnership-driven placement model, and outcomes-focused programming serving vulnerable populations.
• Edwins Restaurant & Boutique: Cleveland-based fine-dining restaurant and training program preparing formerly incarcerated individuals for culinary careers. Comparable in registered apprenticeship-style culinary training combined with social enterprise and employer placement for reentry populations.
• Hot Bread Kitchen: NYC-based nonprofit providing culinary and food industry training primarily for immigrant women and other underserved communities. Comparable in industry-credentialed culinary training, employer placement, and wraparound support services.

Emerging players

• Catalyst Miami: Miami workforce development organization with hospitality sector programming targeting opportunity youth and underrepresented communities. Comparable in hospitality workforce focus and wraparound services, though broader in scope across multiple industries.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology and professional skills training with employer placement for adults facing barriers to employment. Comparable in free-tuition, employer-led curriculum, and outcomes-driven placement model, though focused on IT rather than hospitality.

Broad incumbents

• JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) Los Angeles: Long-established LA-based workforce development nonprofit serving diverse populations across multiple industries. Shares HTA's Los Angeles base, government-grant revenue model, and wraparound support approach, but operates a much broader portfolio of training programs beyond hospitality.
• National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation: Educational arm of the U.S. restaurant industry association providing national workforce training, apprenticeship, and credentialing programs for the restaurant industry. Comparable as a hospitality-training authority and credentialing body, but industry-funded rather than operating a direct placement model like HTA.
• Goodwill Industries International: Largest U.S. workforce development nonprofit operating job training and placement programs across hundreds of local Goodwill affiliates. HTA explicitly partners with Goodwill SoCal for referrals; comparable in mission and target population, but vastly broader in scope and scale than HTA's hospitality focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LosAngelesHTA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_fwulNBTD1HpoCCnN0pgIw
• Facebookfacebook.com/HospitalityTrainingAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3586252
• Instagraminstagram.com/htalosangeles

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hospitality Training Academy