Job Seeker Programs
Application Process

To be eligible, candidates must: 

  • Be eligible to work in the United States.
  • Be available to attend a full-time training program that meets Monday – Friday, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM and job shadowing for two weeks, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
  • Be able to lift 50 pounds, push 200 pounds, and stand for at least 4 hours without assistance.
  • Have flexible work availability including every Saturday, Sunday and holidays.
  • Have proficiency in English at an intermediate level.
  • Be able to pass a drug test.

To apply: Attend an information session at our Dudley Square Training Center located at 2201 Washington St., Roxbury, MA. Arrive 30 minutes early to complete paperwork. Information sessions include a general overview of the pre-apprenticeship training program and a short screening interview. Plan to spend at least two hours at the information session. The full application process includes three interviews, reference checking and drug testing.

Upcoming Information Sessions:

  • Introduction to Hospitality Training Program: Info Sessions will resume in the fall for our 2019 classes.
  • Professional Food Server Training Program Info Sessions: every Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Upcoming Cycles

Professional Food Server Training Program: June 11 – 29, 2018

Please note that classes are grant funded and these grants have specific eligibility requirements. BEST Hospitality Training staff determines candidates’ eligibility for a particular class.

Hotel Housekeeping Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Programs
BEST’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program is called the Introduction to Hospitality Training Program. This 150 hour, six-week, full time pre-apprenticeship program, trains participants for positions in hotel housekeeping departments. The related classroom instruction includes components such as hands-on skills training in a model hotel room, ergonomics, chemical safety and blood-borne pathogens, cross-cultural communication skills, customer service, professionalism, non-harassment, financial literacy, computer skills, interview skills, hotel branding and two weeks of job shadowing. Upon completion, participants work with career coaches on their job search. Graduates receive a Massachusetts Department of Labor Housekeeping Pre-Apprenticeship credential. An articulation agreement between Bunker Hill Community College and BEST awards 9 college credits to pre-apprentice graduates pursuing a hospitality certificate or associates degree upon completion of their prior learning assessment portfolio. Classes are held at our Dudley Square Training Center located at 2201 Washington St., Roxbury, MA.

Housekeeping Apprenticeship: Graduates of BEST’s pre-apprenticeship program seek hotel housekeeping positions in partner hotels. Many of BEST’s hotel partners are signatory employers to the UNITE HERE Local 26 collective bargaining agreement, but not all. Upon hire, graduates begin their on the job training 2,000-hour apprenticeship. BEST works closely with the hotels and the graduates during the apprenticeship. Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, graduates earn a nationally recognized certification from the Massachusetts Department of Labor and 3 additional credits at Bunker Hill Community College. 

Mel King Empowerment Program
The Mel King Empowerment Program (MKEP) is a diversity-hiring initiative aimed at increasing the number of  African Americans employed in quality hotel jobs. All U.S. born African Americans enrolled in our Introduction to Hospitality Training Program are part of the MKEP. The Program is named after Mel King, a community organizer, writer, former adjunct professor at MIT and advocate for Boston’s neighborhoods and less-advantaged families.