MTEC is celebrating our 20 year anniversary!
In this new section, we will be highlighting new initiatives, updates on programs and information on what MTEC staff members are doing out and about in the community…
Stirring up Online WHMIS Training at SAFE Hospitality!
SAFE Hospitality has recently launched an online WHMIS training program available to restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality sector. SAFE Hospitality completed this project in collaboration with Corectech Business Systems Inc, and we are very excited about its capabilities. With WHMIS online, it gives employees the option to take the training at home, or during designated work hours. The flexibility of this program can virtually eliminate scheduling problems for this required training.
This online training allows you to register as an individual, but also has an Admin module where an administrator can keep track of records, and instantly see when an employee has logged in, or passes their test. This is a great tool if you ever need proof of certification, because it can print off training records for safety inspectors instantly.
SAFE Hospitality’s WHMIS program can be workplace specific. You can enter your business MSDS information into an online data base, and test your employees on the specific chemicals with which they work. Even to the point of being specific to their departments.
SAFE Hospitality has kept the training costs as low as possible to allow for the many seasonal and part time employees in our industry. Access codes are available to purchase in bundle packages at a reduced rate and have no expiry date.
To register for WHMIS online, or for information on developing a Safety and Health Program for your workplace, visit www.safehospitality.com or call Christine at 204-694-7233.
Back to the Top
Understand what lenders look for in approving your request for financing
Registering and launching your own small business is not that difficult...ensuring the success and viability of your business however, can be an entirely different matter. For any business to succeed, it requires more than just a brilliant idea, or a good product, efficient and friendly service or even a trendy location.
These all help in gaining new and loyal customers to your business, but one of the other key ingredients in ensuring your business doors remain open to serve your clientele is its ability to access the right type of financing at the different stages of growth. It is important therefore, to understand what lenders look for in approving your request for financing.
You may be well aware of the need for a business plan and accurate, realistic financial data, but have you ever thought about what lenders look for in you the owner? Are there skills you need to demonstrate or qualities that you must possess to improve your chances in securing financing for your small business? The short answer is yes.
Any potential investor or financial institution will only invest in a business opportunity that has a higher degree of success. One of the ways to measure that success apart from the financial projections is you the owner/driver of the business. If you are going to be taking a hands -on approach in your business (e.g. restaurant, catering service, tour guide etc.), your training, education and experience are all factors that can point to greater chances of success over your competitor.
The business that can provide a higher level of service, professionalism, knowledge, expertise and responsiveness is the one that will satisfy customer needs and keep their doors open to continue serving its clientele. In assessing risk and the potential for investing, potential investors and lenders will look critically at your personal background in determining whether your business has a higher degree of success.
Have you prepared yourself by taking the appropriate training, education upgrade etc., to encourage investments in YOU!!
Nigel Mohammed, Manager, Community Services
Business and Community Financial Centre
Assiniboine Credit Union
MTEC can help you with your professional development with workshops such as: Full Limit Selling; Reading, Understanding and Using Financial Statements as a Management Tool (NEW!) or The Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, as well as our full line of emerit Professional Certifications.
Back to the Top
MTEC’s Sixth Semi-Annual Hospitality and Tourism Job Fair – Friday August 28, 2009
Mark your calendars for MTEC’s sixth semi-annual Hospitality and Tourism Job Fair on August 28, 2009. This season’s event will be held at the Winnipeg Convention Centre in a conference room adjacent to a busy sky-walk. The foot-traffic from the sky-walk and the Government of Manitoba Employment Service Centre next door should make for a great job-seeker turn-out.
The registration form and information letter are posted on the MTEC website. The registration form can be found here, and the information letter can be found here. If you have questions about the event, please contact Luanne Christensen at 957-7437 or lchristensen@mtec.mb.ca for details.
Back to the Top
MTEC Job Board
With over 1000 monthly visits to our website, MTEC encourages you to take advantage of Manitoba’s first Hospitality & Tourism Job Board.
All hospitality & tourism employers within Manitoba can place recruitment ads for FREE.
To post a job, please follow these easy steps:
log-in or create a user profile, by clicking here
Submit your job posting by completing applicable areas
Administrator will approve the job posting within two business days at which time it will then be displayed on the job board
or
Click Here to view jobs already posted
If you have any questions, please contact Fiona McIntyre at tourismcareers@mtec.mb.ca or 204-957-7437.
Back to the Top
You are invited...
Back to the Top
Calling New Board Director...
Back to the Top
The Alliance of Manitoba Sector Councils’ Workforce Development Initiative
The members of The Alliance of Manitoba Sector Councils (AMSC) understand that Manitoba businesses must continue to address the issue of unskilled workers and labour shortages in their sectors. To meet the growing demand for a skilled workforce and to position Manitoba companies to compete globally we must equip our workers with the knowledge, skills and competencies to succeed in today’s workforce. As a sector member you have direct access to a variety of Value Added services that will provide you the tools and resources to ensure that you have a continual supply of skilled Manitoba workers to meet economic growth.
MTEC will be working in partnership with AMSC to ensure that our tourism industry employers have knowledge of and access to these services. Through MTEC’s Ready to Work Program, we currently deliver Tourism Essentials, which are the essential skills for the tourism industry developed by the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council. The programs offered by AMSC & the Ready to Work program will be complimentary and available across the province. For more information on the Ready to Work program, please contact Lori Slobodian lslobodian@mtec.mb.ca or Luanne Christensen lchristensen@mtec.mb.ca at MTEC, 957-7437. For more information on the Workforce Development Initiative, please contact Debbie Sykes at Debbie@amsc.mb.ca
Back to the Top
June 24 2009
Free online program assists employers in developing and promoting top HR practices
The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) has released a fresh update of its free employee-rated Employer of Choice program. The online program has a new look and feel, new functions, and a user-friendly sign-up wizard to guide participants through the process. It has been specially tailored by human resource experts to reflect the needs of all sizes of businesses, giving owners the flexibility to assess multiple business locations or individual departments.
The Employer of Choice program is an extension of the Discover Tourism brand; its primary focus is recognizing employers who have developed and implemented leading human resource practices. Attracting and retaining skilled employees is a key means to remain competitive in any economic climate. The Employer of Choice program makes a vital contribution to shaping a skilled Canadian tourism workforce by encouraging employers to motivate and train talented staff.
The program consists of online questionnaires which assess and rate employers’ attraction and retention strategies, employee satisfaction, motivation, and work environment based on established standards in today’s workplace. It then provides specific recommendations, tools, and resources to assist employers in achieving Employer of Choice status.
Employers who achieve the Employer of Choice designation benefit from increased visibility as organizations that value their employees and put top HR practices at the forefront of their goals. This recruitment edge will allow businesses to distinguish themselves as choice employers, thus attracting the talent they need to negotiate the economic downturn and emerge ahead of the competition.
To sign up or to obtain more information on the employee-rated Employer of Choice program, please visit discovertourism.ca.
MTEC will be featuring information on the Employer of Choice Program here in Manitoba in the September E-news. For more information on the program, please contact Fiona McIntyre at 957-7437 or fmcintyre@mtec.mb.ca
Back to the Top
N.E.E.D.S. Inc Employment and A&W
Hat's off to A&W! Over the past 18 months A&W has been working hard to adopt a progressive hiring policy that sees immigrant and refugee workers as a great addition to their team. The idea began to grow when N.E.E.D.S. Inc Employment created a hospitality training program that would offer Newcomers an opportunity to acquire essential workplace skills. N.E.E.D.S. Inc. is a non-profit agency that serves internationally trained and educated immigrants students in the areas of education, employment and development services. It's goal is connect talented youth with forward thinking employers who want to increase the pool of qualified candidates. At the same time, A&W was busy developing an on-line training tool that would introduce new employees to the culture and values of the company. It seemed like a natural partnership that would benefit both sides. As of today, fifty nine students have received in-class training and hands on work experience in Winnipeg locations. A&W has seen the loyalty of immigrant and refugee population as forty seven workers have continued employment with their company and 82% of the original group have been in the A&W family for 18 months. The success of this program has been the corporate support it has received along with in-store staff that have welcomed and mentored the students. N.E.E.D.S. Employment Coordinator, Robyn Andrews hopes more employers will see the value and skills immigrant and refugee youth bring with them to Canada. For more information on this exciting program and to increase your pool of refreshing candidates please contact the office at 940-1267.
Back to the Top
July 13 2009
CTHRC Seeks Tourism Trainers for National Occupational Standards Review
The CTHRC is currently looking for active Tourism Trainers to assist with the review of the emerit National Occupational Standards (NOS). The current Tourism Trainer NOS were developed in 2005 and are available for free download at emerit.ca. In May, the CTHRC – in collaboration with Future Learning Inc., provincial and territorial tourism human resources organizations, and industry experts – launched a project to conduct norm referencing research to inform a proposed update for the Tourism Trainer NOS. The primary goal of norm referencing is to review the current NOS and make recommendations on possible changes to the standards that reflect occupational trends and skills requirements.
Read Full Release Here
Back to the Top
Canadian HR Reporter
7/13/2009
Respecting different religions about more than holidays
Daily observances such as prayers and dietary concerns also important
By Phil Schalm
On a daily basis, Canadian workplaces are a gathering place for people from various cultures around the world. This diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and viewpoints can provide many advantages for employers, but what happens when personal requirements and observances do not conform to established business operations?
Canadian businesses were historically built around Christian traditions. Several statutory holidays, including Christmas and Good Friday, follow Christian observances. But, with an increasing number of employees not of the Christian faith, organizations have to figure out how to manage the many religious and cultural events that fall outside traditional statutory holidays.
It’s common for employers to ask employees to use vacation time to observe non-Christian holidays. Others may offer individuals a paid leave separate from vacation allotment and request employees make up the time. Some employers simply provide employees with a pool of paid days, such as 10 earned days per year, that can be used for a variety of reasons, such as illness, bereavement, snow days, personal emergencies and religious holidays not covered by statutory holidays.
Beyond major holidays, there are daily observances employers have to be aware of in order to create a positive environment for all team members. For instance, some religions might follow strict clothing guidelines, dietary requirements or prayer schedules that sometimes require separate male and female facilities in which they can perform their pre-prayer ablutions. Provisions for these employees should be as natural as possible and not be designed to isolate or single out particular groups as being abnormal or special.
For example, one Toronto workplace has a room marked “prayer room.” The organization converted a meeting room into a place where individuals of any religious background can break for a moment of prayer. No particular decor designates the space as belonging to one faith or another, so the room is welcoming for all.
When it came to ensuring Toronto’s Ryerson University felt inclusive for all, the HR team engaged leaders from various religious communities to better understand potential areas of conflict in cultural practices.
If an employer doesn’t have this kind of access to individual staff members, there is a lot of information available outside the organization. For instance, the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council website (www.triec.ca) is a great resource for diversity strategies, including case studies on how other businesses have successfully responded to an increasingly diverse workplace.
Some organizations engage a diversity consultant to help review current practices and bring forward solutions that ensure all employees feel the employer is respectful and responsive to their needs.
“Not only can this be a legal issue, but managers need to be aware and prepared to deal with religious and cultural observances from a greater corporate culture perspective,” says Lisa Mattam, president of the Mattam Group, a Toronto-based management consulting firm, who has helped many companies navigate these issues and develop diversity plans.
“Since they’re on the front line, and most often the ones answering questions and requests, they need to be equipped with communication skills and knowledge.”
Employers should be clear on their responsibilities from a policy perspective. It’s up to the organization to decide whether it simply wants to be aligned with current laws regarding holiday time or go further to reflect the diverse nature of the workplace. Then it’s a matter of establishing a structure that makes it easy for everyone to understand.
When it comes to religious observances, employers are dealing with closely held values and strong emotions. Understandably, some employers find it difficult to discuss religious observances out of fear of raising dissension. However, simply raising the topic, even if the situation can’t be immediately resolved, can actually produce a more open dialogue and productive work environment.
Instead of being overwhelmed by trying to address every potential scenario right away, it might be wise for an employer to start with one solvable issue and work through it in a way that instills confidence and provides a basis for moving forward. For example, look at implementing a prayer space or managing various lunchroom requirements and use that experience to deal with other issues.
Sometimes there are quick solutions if all parties work together, says Mattam. One of her clients has an employee who, instead of using on-site prayer facilities, goes to the mosque. He can be there and back in 15 minutes. His team members respect this time and know he’ll be back shortly to help out if a critical issue arises in the workplace while he’s away.
Employees also share in the responsibility to create a truly multicultural workplace. Employers and employees have a lot of to learn when it comes to respecting various observances and collectively trying to create new solutions that work for everyone.
Phil Schalm is program director at the Gateway for International Professionals at the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University in Toronto. For more information, visit www.ryerson.ca/ce/gateway.
Back to the Top
To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art.
- Chinese Proverb
Back to the Top
HR Reporter
5/8/2007
Work-life balance greatest workforce challenge
Most supervisors aren't supportive enough
A combination of powerful trends is pressuring employees at work, resulting in an imbalance in their family lives, which inevitably affects employees' mental health, according to a recent study released in honour of National Mental Health Week.
Employee assistance provider Human Solutions, surveyed more than 600 employees across Canada and found that workload and work-life balance is the number one workforce challenge facing employees.
An overwhelming majority of respondents, 76 per cent, rated their supervisors as ineffective or moderately effective in helping employees achieve work-life balance.
The ability to create a workplace where good work-life balance is fostered is important to the long-term success of the organization, said Judith Plotkin, national director of business development at Human Solutions.
"Our survey found that workers who agreed that they have a good balance between their work and personal or family life experience less stress than workers who lack this balance, regardless of other factors in their lives or the type of work performed," she said.
The report, Under Pressure: Implications of Work-Life Balance and Job Stress, found that it's work, not family, that makes it hard for employees to find a good work-life balance.
More than half (62 per cent) of employees said it was pressures at work that contributed to the work-life imbalance, while only 27 per cent said it was family or personal life pressures that mad the balance harder to achieve.
Employers that want to encourage a culture of work-life balance should develop workload awareness, provide creative, flexible or customized scheduling, and communicate in a clear and supportive manner.
Back to the Top