JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Community College board of trustees recently authorized college officials to move forward with a proposed tourism and hospitality certificate program.

The proposal, which was reviewed by the college’s faculty, has been forwarded to the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department for the next stages of approval.

Students who complete the proposed certificate would be prepared for entry level employment in the tourism or hospitality industry. They would also be able to “ladder” into JCC’s A.S. or A.A.S.-business: business administration degrees in preparation to transfer into a bachelor’s degree in tourism and hospitality.

According to the JobsEq data for Western New York and Pennsylvania, total employment in the category of tourism and hospitality is projected to grow during the next decade.