Training
Many business owners/operators enter the tourism industry looking for a career or lifestyle change, but lack the specific skills required by the industry sector. Recognising your own training and development needs is one of the fundamental building blocks to business success.
It is rare that a business operator is able to secure a person who does not require additional training. A clear career path and opportunities for personal and professional is now expected by most employees, especially by the Generation ‘Y’ workforce.
In a 2008 survey of 300 Generation Y graduates by Cubic Consulting, only 6% nominated salary as being important, while more than 70% nominated opportunities for professional development as a key motivator. Training now needs to be viewed by employers as a non-discretionary business expense.
You can no longer expect an employee to remain with your business for a lengthy period. It is frustrating to devote resources to training an employee, only to have them leave for another employer. However, it is often said that it’s better to have a skilled, motivated employee who will benefit your business for a short time than it is to have a team of ignorant, underperforming employees who never leave!
Training and professional development is one of the most effective staff retention strategies, especially among the Gen Y workforce. Quality training is adding value to the employee, so the return on investment is for both the individual and the employer.
If everyone trains there is a greater Internal Labour Market (ILM) so that as you lose a person, you are more likely to pick up someone who has been trained by another in the industry. This can help stop people leaving the industry even though they may move between different players in the industry.
Meeting benchmarks requires ongoing skill development for everyone working in the industry, not just for those entering it. Technology brings new ways of doing things; fashions demand new levels of service and, from the perspective of the tourism experience, we are always wanting to provide something new and exciting, but in a safe environment.
The ongoing and systematic development of staff skills needs planning. Training needs analysis, skills gap analysis, human resource planning and individual training plans should all be part of a workplace skill development program. This can realistically and cost-effectively achieve objectives and assist business to achieve the level of professionalism that will support other business objectives.
Within Australian, and especially in Victoria, we are fortunate to have a training sector devoted to assisting the tourism industry to develop the skills it needs to be a world leader. Organisations like many of the TAFE institutions and private training companies work with industry clients to provide solutions to skill development problems and to assist industry to improve its bottom line.
Learn (78 kb) about East Gippsland Institute of TAFE’s innovative approach to delivering business-specific training to a widely scattered audience
Employers should establish a relationship with a training provider that understands your business. Most can provide tailored training to meet specific business needs. Even if you only select components of programs for staff training, aim to use nationally accredited courses. This means that, upon successful completion of the chosen units, your staff member will gain a ‘Statement of Attainment’, which is a national recognition of competence.
It also means that their new skill/s are portable and can contribute towards a formal qualification they may choose to do in the future, anywhere in Australia. It not only provides greater incentive for staff to acquire new skills, but you will also be helping to build a better industry workforce, from which we all benefit.
View an outline of the nationally accredited hospitality training package available
View an outline of the nationally accredited tourism industry training package available
There are also many opportunities to learn new skills and to gain inspiration, without even having to enter a classroom.
Learn (81 kb) about the 2006 Lynette Bergin Fellowship winner’s study tour of China
If you know of someone who is an outstanding student or an innovative teacher in the Victorian vocational training system, or an institution that showcases best practice training, you may care to nominate them/it for a Victorian Training Award. Go to www.skills.vic.gov.au/awards to learn more about the scheme.