In the hospitality industry, where women hold 63% of entry-level positions but 34% of management positions, it is encouraging that there are efforts at the local level to change this.

For the second year this year, Dallas College is offering its Women in Restaurants Leadership Program. As our colleague Imelda García recently reported, it’s an eight-week, tuition-free course that’s run in partnership with several local restaurants, such as Beatrice and Zen Sushi, to give students hands-on experience in the restaurant and restaurant industry. And while the program’s focus is on educating women, anyone interested in leadership roles in restaurants is invited to enroll in the course.

This is a welcome reminder that all seekers need to be helped. But recognizing that women are underrepresented in restaurant management and then helping them make the leap to the top is smart. Restaurants have an unfortunate history of being a boy’s club, especially in the kitchen. Changing this narrative requires more balance in the C-suite.

Steve DeShazo, senior director of Workforce Initiatives at Dallas College, told us that this experience is valuable for students who want to run their own food service business in the future. For many, this program provides mentorship, connections and advice they need for their careers, DeShazo said.

The first course was offered in the spring and the results were telling. One hundred percent of students said they would recommend the course to another student, DeShazo said. Another measure of the course’s success was job placement, as several restaurants hired students from the course.

We are optimistic that community colleges will provide young and not-so-young people with the vocational training they need to enter the workforce without the debt and time commitment that some cannot afford for a four-year degree.

And a program that gives women the opportunity to advance to leadership positions in the industry is a step toward greater equality that benefits society as a whole.

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