Name: State program aims to grow hospitality workforce
Uploaded: 2023-02-25T18:58:52-0500
Duration: 136074
Description: When the pandemic started, many restaurants had to cut back on the work force. Three years later, they are still trying to find the workforce needed to run. WRAL's Adam Owens spoke with the NCRLA to learn about a program aimed to get workers back into the field.

More than 21% of North Carolina's four-year-olds enrolled in the state's pre-kindergarten programs during the 2022-2023 school year, up from the prior year but still below the state's pre-pandemic highs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

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Compared to pre-pandemic prices, ground beef is up 35%, chips are up 45%, bread is up 57% and a 12-ounce can of soda is up 66%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks trends on common grocery store items.

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When the pandemic started, many restaurants had to cut back on the work force. Three years later, they are still trying to find the workforce needed to run. WRAL's Adam Owens spoke with the NCRLA to learn about a program aimed to get workers back into the field.

WE'RE MAKING ADDITIONAL CALLS TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. WELL, WHEN THE PANDEMIC FORCED RESTAURANTS TO CLOSE OR CUT BACK MANY WORKERS NEVER RETURNED. THAT IS WHY THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE TODAY. BUT A NEW GRANT MIGHT GET PEOPLE BACK ON THE JOB. WRAL'S ADAM OWENS SHOWS US HOW IT WORKS. >> OF GOTTEN BETTER. BUT THERE IS STILL SOME WAYS TO GO. JASON SMITH OWNS 2 RESTAURANTS, CANTINA 18 IN RALEIGH AND HARVEST 18 IN DURHAM. HE HAD HOPED TO OPEN A 3RD. THERE'S NO CHANCE I WOULD EVEN TRY TO GET DOWN THAT ROAD RIGHT NOW. HE'S DEALING WITH SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND INFLATION AND OF COURSE, THE STAFFING CRISIS. IT FEELS LIKE IT'S KIND OF SAID IN A LITTLE BIT HERE TO STAY. MANY WORKERS LEFT THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY DURING THE PANDEMIC. THEY TOOK OTHER JOBS AND SOME HAVE NOT RETURNED IN BETTER TIMES. SMITH WOULD INTERVIEW A COUPLE QUALIFIED JOB CANDIDATES A MONTH NOW I MIGHT HAVE WON EVERY 4 TO 6 MONTHS. BUSINESSES ARE STILL STRUGGLING ACROSS THE STATE. LYNN MEN JUST AS WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA RESTAURANT AND LODGING ASSOCIATION. WE NEED MANY MORE WORKERS. THERE ARE SOME ESTIMATES THAT WAS 70 DOES MANY AS 30 OR 40,000 WORKERS TO MEET THE CURRENT DEMAND TO APPLY. SIMPLY GO TO NC OUR L A DOT TRAINING THE IN SEE OR LES IS WORKING WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO OFFER A HOSPITALITY WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM TO LEARN BEST PRACTICES FOR OPERATING RESTAURANT. AMONG OTHER IMPORTANT SKILLS. >> THE PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY A 1.1 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT. IT PROVIDES FREE COURSES AND CERTIFICATIONS TO GET PEOPLE INTO THE RESTAURANT HOTEL AND HOSPITALITY BUSINESS IN NORTH CAROLINA. MEN JUST TELLS ME SOME OF THE COURSES ARE AS LITTLE AS A HALF HOUR LONG SO THAT THEY'RE READY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON DAY ONE THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN GAINING THE SKILLS CAN GET STARTED BY GETTING ONLINE. SO THEY GRANT IS GOING TO, I THINK, MAKE IT FEASIBLE FOR MORE PEOPLE TO GET BACK INTO THE INDUSTRY. ADAM OWENS, WRAL NEWS. HERE'S MORE OF THE MONEY FOR THE TRAINING PROGRAM COMES FROM THE U.S. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, YOU CAN LEARN MORE RIGHT NOW. >> BY GOING TO N C A R L A DOT

Adam Owens

Joseph Ochoa

Sam Blevins

State program aims to grow hospitality workforce

Jason Smith, owner of Cantina 18 in Raleigh

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WRAL Late News 

Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

I'm meteorologist K Campbell in the wr severe weather center. Here's your weekend forecast looks pretty good. On Saturday, there is a small chance for rain. That would be first thing very early in the morning in our northern counties. The rest of the day looks pretty good, partly cloudy, mid to perhaps upper seventies. By Sunday, it's much cooler. Highs struggle to get into the sixties even. It's a cloudy day and we've got some scattered showers in the forecast Sunday, but we're on the stable side of the front. So we're not severe weather on Sunday and we really could use some rain. We'll get to that in a minute. Let's talk about your Saturday planner because that's going to be the day to be outside 63 at 8 a.m. by noon, 71 and will be in the mid to upper seventies during the afternoon. Still in the low to mid seventies by dinner time. Future cash shows pretty quiet, start to the day. Perhaps a few showers in our northern counties and cloud cover to start, but those clouds clear and we'll see more sunshine later on before we cloud back overnight into Sunday morning. Scattered showers are possible throughout the first part of the day, Sunday and then we'll see a band of steadier rain make its way in as we head into Sunday evening and perhaps Sunday night as well. Early on, we need any rain, we can get the drought monitor showing an expanded region for abnormally dry and yellow. That's the morning stage before you reach drought status. So we really need some rain to prevent drought from developing as we head into the month of May. The system that's bringing our rain chances for your Friday night is this area of low pressure along with a cold front draped to the south. That cold front is going to knock temperatures down as well. We're down to 46 degrees on Monday morning, 44 we had to lower the low Tuesday morning because there's not likely to be as much cloud cover and that's going to allow temperatures to fall even further. But for the weekend morning will wake up to temperatures near 60 Saturday morning and in the lower fifties again on Sunday morning. If you are running the Tar Heel 10 miler, we got some pretty nice weather for it. A 20% chance for rain for early on. Otherwise temperatures will be in the low to mid 60 s. Looks like some pretty good running weather for us. Looking ahead to next week, we're still on the cooler side start 66. But Monday trending more sunshine And then as we get into Tuesday, Wednesday, we're likely to be back in the seventies, Wednesday. We've got a cold front coming the way it looks now. Only a small 20% chance for rain with the front, but it is going to knock temperatures down again. Not as dramatic but low temperatures could be back in the upper forties with highs in the upper sixties to lower seventies toward the end of next week.

WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 3 p.m. daily. They can be seen as live or on-demand video.

Good afternoon. I'm Me Global. Welcome to this news drawings for Friday, April 19th, 2024. Let's get started with Carolina pick three. The first number is five. The second is seven. The third is eight and our pick three. Fire all number is five. Joining me for this afternoon drawing is our A for a con and JL LP. Now move on to Carolina pick for the first four. Number is eight. The second is eight. The third is six. The fourth is two and our pick four. Fireball number is six. The North Carolina Education lottery has contributed over $10 billion to education. Thanks for your support and thanks for playing.

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 Drawing

Gov. Roy Cooper joins United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to make a clean energy announcement.

Gov. Cooper makes clean energy announcement

Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Good evening. I'm Gayle Hurd. Welcome to tonight's joins for Thursday, April 18th, 2024. Well, let's get started tonight with our Carolina pick three. Our first winning number is a three. Our second number is three also and our third number tonight is two and our pick three. Fireball number is one. Joining me for tonight's drawing is our auditor from mcconal and Jones L LP. Now let's move to the Carolina pick four. Good luck. Everyone is that first winning pick four number. It's a seven. Our second number is six. Third number tonight is seven again and our fourth number is two and our pick for a fireball number is an eight. We're turning now to the Carolina cash five. If no one was the top prize tonight. Tomorrow, our prize is estimated at $235,000. Good luck. Everyone. Who's that first winning cash five number. It's 22. Second number is five third number tonight is it 25. Our fourth number is 10 and the final number in our cash drive this evening is 21. The North Carolina education lottery has contributed over $10 billion to education Thanks to your support. Get your winning numbers right here every night in your exclusive station for the North Carolina Education lottery. Thanks for playing. Have a great night.

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

After 22 years in business, Armadillo Grill on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh has closed.



WE HAVE MORE RAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND. I'LL SHOW YOU COMING UP. THE LIST OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH BUSINESSES SHUTTING THEIR DOORS IS ARMADILLO GRILL IS THE LATEST TO CLOSE FOR GOOD. >> WRAL'S SEAN GALLAGHER IS IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH TO FIND OUT WITH THIS MEANS FOR THE GLENN WOOD, SOUTH AREA. SEAN, THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO A LOT OF FOLKS. >> YEAH, THIS WAS VERY ABRUPT SO ABRUPT THAT WE'VE SEEN A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE COMING UP HERE TRYING TO GET LUNCH ON THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THEY'RE MET WITH THIS SIGN ON THE DOOR, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE SHUT DOWN FOR GOOD, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AT THIS LOCATION. NOW, THIS TEX MEX RESTAURANT CALL THE CORNER OF GLENWOOD AVENUE AND TUCKER STREET HOME FOR THE LAST. 22 YEARS. IN A FACEBOOK POST, THE OWNERS SAY CHANGES IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND RISING COSTS ARE WHY THEY'RE SHUTTING DOWN THIS LOCATION. IT'S THE LATEST IN A STRING OF STAPLE BUSINESSES RALLY, CLOSING CLOUDS BREWING, SHUT DOWN ITS RALEIGH TAVERN ON WEST STREET EARLIER THIS MONTH IN THE CAPITAL CLUB. 16 IS SHUTTING DOWN AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. OUR BELOVED REAL SAID THEY WILL LOOK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION TO SERVE THE RALEIGH COMMUNITY. BUT FOR SHARE MCCRACKEN OF GARDEN SCAPE DESIGNER FOR BUSINESSES AROUND THIS AREA. THIS IS JUST A SIGN OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. >> IT'S ELEVATING RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO KIND OF ROLL WITH IT. NATURALLY COMING TO AN END AND MAYBE THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SPOT THAT'S PERFECT FOR THEM. BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY FEEL THAT THERE IS A CHANGE GOING ON ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. >> AN ARMADILLO GRILL WILL ARE STILL OFFER THEIR CATERING SERVICES HERE AND THEY WILL STILL OPERATE THEIR FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN CARRBORO. BUT RENEE, THAT'S ABOUT 40 MINUTES AWAY RIGHT NEAR UNC CAMPUS. >> WHILE CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE TO DRIVE A LOT FARTHER AND WE WILL SEE WHAT ENDS UP TAKING ITS PLACE. THERE ON GLENWOOD

Glenwood South staple Armadillo Grill closes

Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday Powerball drawings, as shown live on WRAL.

Is powerball. Good evening, everyone. I'm Randy Trainer. Tonight. We have our life changing jackpot. It's estimated to be $80.7 million to get your tickets ready. Here. Come, tonight's winning numbers. Let's start things off this evening with the number 24. Right after that America. We have the number 54 and congratulations to Lisa Hayes from Illinois. She won $2 million playing powerball. All right, the rest of your winning number is 4447. And let's round it out tonight with the number 29 and tonight's win powerball number that's gonna be two and your power play multiplier is two. Let's take a look at tonight's winning numbers. Remember there are multiple ways to win. Good luck, everyone. We'll see you back here on Saturday night. It's time to play America's favorite.

Powerball Drawing

A crash has shut down all but one lane of Interstate 540 westbound near Buffaloe Road in Raleigh. Sky 5 is over the scene

State program aims to grow hospitality workforce

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