In the Fall, 2000 the Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Association reached an agreement with the Hospitality Business Alliance to implement the Lodging Management Program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Hospitality Business Alliance is a non-profit partnership between the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the National Restaurant Association to implement school-to-career programs throughout the United States. In Pennsylvania the program is known as Training for Lodging Careers (TLC)

The purpose of the program is to provide juniors and seniors in high school with academic instruction and paid work experience to prepare them for supervisory positions within the lodging industry, or for the pursuit of industry-related post-secondary education. The comprehensive instructional materials reflect industry standards and students successfully completing both the school-based and work-based components will receive a certificate of mastery from the Educational Institute of the AH&LA. [The AHLA is the world leader in providing educational and professional development opportunities for the hospitality industry and is the only industry-led organization in the United States offering a lodging-related secondary school credential.]

The PA Tourism & Lodging Association is performing all of the activities necessary to identify sites, train school staff, secure and support industry participation, and to monitor the implementation of the program. A Task Force has been formed, from among the members of the PTLA’s Human Resources Committee and Hospitality and Tourism Education Committee, to guide the planning and provide the oversight for this initiative.