2021 SERVE 360 REPORT ESG PROGRESS AT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL → 45 Refugee Hiring Marriott is a top employer of International Rescue Committee (IRC) clients in the United States. The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps individuals survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. Their programming supports economic recovery, education, health, and skills training to help resettled refugees recover and thrive. Between 2018 and 2020, Marriott hired 182 clients across the IRC network. Capacity Building for Resettled Refugees In 2020, Marriott continued to support IRC’s Hospitality Link program in Dallas, Texas; San Diego, California; and Elizabeth, New Jersey. The program is designed to provide skills development training to resettled refugees, while introducing them to careers in the hospitality industry, as well as providing life skills and English language classes. In 2020, Hospitality Link’s Dallas, San Diego, and Elizabeth programs served 114 resettled refugees, placing 71% in jobs, despite the economic slowdown. Representing 18 countries, 46% of the participants were women and 54% were men. These participants varied in educational and professional backgrounds, with some never having received formal education, and others having graduate degrees. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Hospitality Link program pivoted to a remote service delivery model and, in some cases, offered self-paced trainings, allowing increased access for clients who may have otherwise been unable to participate. Early in the pandemic, the IRC invested in the digital literacy of clients and access to technology. Hospitality Link also incorporated COVID-19 health and safety lessons into the curriculum, which were customized by city. In addition to training, Marriott’s funding enabled the IRC to provide holistic support to their refugee clients during the pandemic, including assisting 713 new American clients with filing for unemployment insurance and gaining access to other public benefits, as well as providing one-on-one financial coaching to 420 clients. Armenia-Georgia Business Council In 2020, through the Armenia-Georgia Business Council, the Armenia Marriott Yerevan provided complimentary hotel rooms for 168 women and children refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. The hotel also provided mobile phones to the school-aged children to participate in online classes while staying at the hotel. Refugees By providing skills development and training for jobs in our industry, we help empower resettled refugees to create a positive future for themselves, their families, and their communities in the U.S. and beyond. Left Top: Associates at the Brussels Marriott Hotel Grand Place (Brussels, Belgium) donate supplies to refugees Left Bottom: IRC Hospitality Training Program participant