Gaming and hospitality firm Raving, a leader in providing training and educational opportunities for Tribal organizations and gaming operators, has announced the appointment of Patrick Horning, senior manager, National Tribal Relations, University of Phoenix, to its Leadership and Tribal Member Development Team. This team works with Tribal and First Nation casinos to create mentorships and educational programs for supervisors and managers.
The appointment furthers an alliance between Raving and the University to provide quality higher education opportunities to Tribal communities throughout Indian Country. Through this alliance, University of Phoenix has evaluated and articulated conference and corporate trainings provided by Raving for college credit. The University also will provide Raving with an employee progression plan to help provide a full-service experience when completing casino or resort evaluations.
“We’ve enjoyed working with this dedicated team whose goal is helping Tribes achieve sustainability through higher education, economic development and developing future leaders,” said Deana Scott, Raving CEO. “Our work with University of Phoenix is in alignment with Raving’s mission to educate and provide tools to the industry as they become better operators, leaders and community members. This not only helps working adults achieve their educational goals but helps tribal organizations address future staffing needs and upskill requirements within their own employee base.”
Since 1998, Raving has worked with companies nationwide to help improve gaming and hospitality operations through employee skills training. In its work with University of Phoenix, Raving will identify industry market needs, especially in leadership and management, utilize the University as their education strategic partner for education opportunities to upskill or reskill current employees to help fill those positions. According to Raving’s Third Annual Indian Gaming National Marketing Survey, the number one challenge faced by tribal casinos is staffing.
Staffing challenges are often the result of a lack of necessary education. Raving found that many Tribal employees avoid higher education because of the uncertainty of attending a larger university, they have been out of school for many years and do not feel equipped or prepared for college classes, are unsure how to manage work-school-family life balance, or have seen others try and fail. University of Phoenix offers programs to Native Nations and operators, as well as a dedicated Tribal operations team who provide one-on-one service to all affiliated Tribal members, employees, and their family members who are considering a career in Indian Gaming, a departmental change, or desire to enhance in their current field through career relevant education.
“Many folks out there, who are currently working in the Tribal gaming industry or are Tribal members, want to achieve higher education goals but achieving this might seem impossible due to work/life challenges, location or other factors,” Horning said. “Pursuing a degree can be overwhelming for financial and other reasons. Our team works with students to not only explore opportunities for prior work/life experience and trainings that may be evaluated for potential college credit, but also to help them through the enrollment and funding processes as well as navigating challenges they might experience throughout their program. Since implementing our Tribal operations team, the university has seen a significant increase in the overall academic success of our Tribal students.”
To learn more about Raving, visit https://betravingknows.com/.
To learn more about University of Phoenix program offerings, visit phoenix.edu.
About Raving
Raving is a full-service, native-owned, casino and hospitality company that has worked with clients globally since 1998. The company partners with tribal casinos and gaming companies worldwide to strategically improve overall operations and profitability. Additionally, Raving produces numerous educational publications and conferences including Tribal Gaming & Hospitality Magazine and Raving NEXT: Indian Gaming Analytics & Marketing Conference.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is innovating to help working adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive learning can help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs online and from select campuses and learning centers. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.