SAUK COUNTY, Wis. (WMTV) - The approaching summer means a busy season for Wisconsin Dells and a boost to area tourism. As Wisconsin starts to come out of the pandemic, a new UW System program is connecting businesses with seasonal employees.
For resorts in the Dells like the Wilderness Resort, summer is the busiest season, even in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re really seeing things pick up this year, with people being vaccinated,” said Wilderness Resort spokesperson Heidi Fendos.
However, Fendos said the pandemic makes it hard for international employees to get visas. Usually, resorts hire about a quarter of seasonal employees outside the U.S., using the J-1 visa program.
“We’re probably going to get about 50 percent of the J-1 workers we were anticipating,” Fendos explained, adding, “We still have a need for about 200 seasonal employees.”
A new partnership between UW-Platteville’s Baraboo Sauk County campus and UW-Stout is taking steps to help fill that gap.
“This program is developing in the right place at the right time,” said Wayne Weber, Dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture at UW-Platteville.
The two universities are starting an associates degree program in hospitality and tourism.
“It’s going to give students a real strong background in hospitality, food service operations, principles of lodging,” Weber explained.
Students will also learn the basics of business management and accounting.
The first group of students will start the program in fall 2021. The following summer, they will start internships in the industry, many in Wisconsin Dells.
“This is going to be during peak season, so there’s going to be plenty of opportunity for these students to get involved,” Weber said.
The early internship program will work with industry partners to give students hands-on experience in their fields of study.
“Those experiences are going to contribute to their entire career success,” Weber explained.
The program will also connect businesses to a steady workforce as Wisconsin starts to emerge from the pandemic.
“We are thrilled to have a pipeline we can reach to,” Fendos said of the program.
Weber added, “There’s a lot of optimism out there and the students can be a part of that.”
Weber also explained the associates degree program is designed to help students transition to four-year degrees in areas like Business Administration and Hospitality Management.
Romy Snyder, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau, called the program a “huge win for our area” in a statement to NBC15. Snyder continued, “Local hospitality businesses will have the opportunity to recruit and retain local talent while prospective students and graduates can work and learn in a top Midwest tourist destination...it’s our hope that this educational program will produce future talent for years to come.”
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