March 2010
How Do You Operate Your Business When You Don’t Have Enough Employees?
Did you know that many economists are predicting that by 2012 Canada is going to experience a significant labour shortage?
According to James Frank, one of Canada’s best known and respected economists and the former Chief Economist at the Conference Board of Canada, the labour market in Canada is going to see a major decline as the baby boomers start to retire in 2012. He states that if businesses in the tourism industry do not structurally change, they will not be able to reach their potential. Meaning, they will not be able to service their customers because of the lack of staff and will see declined profits. This situation has already arisen in Thompson, where over the past year they could not keep several of their local businesses open regular hours because of the shortage of staff.
James Frank suggests increasing the attractiveness of working in the tourism industry by not only increasing salaries, but more importantly by providing training. Teaching managers how to retain and motivate employees. Providing employees with clear job descriptions and training them to increase their skills and professionalism.
Another suggestion is for organizations to provide job sharing in cases like housekeeping where the older worker cannot perform the labour intensive part of the job. Also, sharing employees, e.g. work at a golf course in the summer and ski hill in the winter. Companies need to come up with constructive ideas if they want to remain sustainable. If the tourism industry remains status quo, it cannot reach its potential. Small gains over a long period will result in gradual improvement in productivity.
Source of reference: Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC)
For information on emerit Certification, Contact: Fiona McIntyre, emerit Tourism Training Coordinator (204)957-7437.
Do you know if your business is making a profit every month?
Do you know why many businesses find themselves with cash flow problems when it is too late to recover?
As a business owner, you need to know how to read and understand your financial statements and use them as management tools.
MTEC would like to offer complimentary seats to the first 15 people that register for our “Using Financial Statements as a Management Tool” Class on Tuesday, April 13th. Please call Chris Randall, Business Training Coordinator at 957-7437 to register.
7th Semi-Annual Hospitality and Tourism Job Fair – April 9, 2010 at the Clarion Hotel
The busy summer season will soon be here. Will you have enough staff to meet your business needs?
The Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC), in conjunction with the Manitoba Hotel Association (MHA), Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association (MRFA) and the Clarion Hotel, is once again holding a Hospitality and Tourism Job Fair. The seventh semi-annual event will be held on Friday April 9 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel.
If you are an employer and would like to take advantage of this excellent recruitment event, please click here for more details on the event. The registration form is also on our website and can be found by clicking here.
If you are looking for employment in this exciting field, please click here for information about the event.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Luanne Christensen at 957-7437 or lchristensen@mtec.mb.ca.
A Reminder for Upcoming Sessions
MANITOBA BEST Service Excellence
Date: Monday, March 22, 2010
Location: MTEC Learning Centre: 1534 Gamble Place
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Cost: $49.00 per person plus GST. Take advantage of this special offer, and join us for a new MANITOBA BEST experience. Regular price $95.00 per person plus GST.
To register contact Mindie Copet at 957-7437, or email: mcopet@mtec.mb.ca today!
Looking for the right people to join your team?
To assist in your search, MTEC invites you to post new job opportunities on Manitoba’s first Hospitality & Tourism Job Board.
To post your job descriptions please go to http://mtec.mb.ca/post_a_job.aspx
Looking for new job opportunities?
Sign up to be on the MTEC job notification list. We will notify you through e-mail once a new job has been posted on the website. Please send contact information, including e-mail to Fiona McIntyre at fmcintyre@mtec.mb.ca
Discover Tourism: MTEC speaks to job seekers and youth on behalf of the tourism industry
MTEC will be attending the following career fairs through out the months of March and April: Brandon Career Fair at the Keystone Centre, March 8-10, Rotary Career Symposium at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, April 7-8 and the Parkland Career and Job Fair, April 14th and April 15th, at the Parkland Recreation Complex. At these events, we talk to job seekers about the opportunities available to them in this exciting and diverse industry.
A Special Request
Wellington Elementary School, located on Beverley Street in the heart of the Inner-City, would like to invite a Front Desk Agent, Housekeeping Room Attendant, Tourism Visitor Information Counselor and Hunting Guide to their upcoming Career Fair. The Career Fair is unique in that they include all of the school community from N - Grade 6. The Career Fair is scheduled for the morning of 29th April 2010.
Beginning with a celebration kick-off the guests would be accompanied to their scheduled classroom. Ideally, they would like to have guests until noon as then they are serving lunch. The speakers would be visiting three classrooms to talk about the skills related to their career, describing their career, and delivering the message the importance of staying in school.
If you would like to attend this event, please call Lori Slobodian, at 957- 7437 for more information.
The Manitoba Tourism Awards recognizes excellence in the promotion and delivery of tourism experiences in Manitoba. The 2009 Manitoba Tourism Awards Gala will take place Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at the Fairmont Winnipeg. For a complete list of finalists, event details and ticket information click here www.manitobatourismawards.com. Join industry colleagues in honoring award winners in ten categories and celebrate the success of tourism in Manitoba.
Creating Great Destinations: A Destination Development Workshop Series
Travel Manitoba is pleased to offer this unique workshop series for tourist attractions, businesses and community leaders to come together and explore the role a community plays in developing a great tourist destination. Through two full-day workshops and a multi-day best practice mission to a tourist destination, you will learn about the importance of tourism for your community, experience inspiring tourism destinations and create an action plan to see your vision for a tourist destination come to life. The Destination Development Workshop Series will take place in the spring and summer of 2010, although specific dates and locations have not yet been determined. Space will be limited, so to express your interest or book your spot please contact Wayne Copet at Travel Manitoba (toll free: 800-665-0040; Direct: 204-927-7819, or by email: wcopet@travelmanitoba.com).Click here for more details on this exciting workshop series open to anyone involved in tourism in Manitoba.
Thompson’s Best ~ Hospitality Program Wind-Up Luncheon
Participants from the Thompson’s Best ~ Hospitality program were honoured at a wind-up luncheon at the Burntwood Hotel on February 6. These seven participants received certificates marking the completion of their employment program. The program included three weeks of emerit national occupational standards training for Front Desk Agent and Line Cook. In the five weeks prior to the standards training, each participant had the opportunity to participate in workshops including:
- MANITOBA BEST Service Excellence
- Cultural Considerations
- Handling Difficult Situations
- Safe Food Handling
- Workplace Expectations
- and much more!
The group trained alongside industry professionals from the city of Thompson, giving them an opportunity to network and find out more about the industry.
Thompson’s Best ~ Hospitality program participants receive completion certificates at a wind-up luncheon. L-R: Corrina Weir, Genevieve Olson, Natasha Anderson, Geraldine Burnett, Kayla Wood and Rosemary Flett. Missing: Fay Castel.
After the wind-up luncheon, Thompson employers were invited to hold a job fair. They set up tables and the participants discussed open positions, picked up application forms and distributed resumes.
If you would like to see how your community or business could benefit from a similar training program, please contact Luanne Christensen or Lori Slobodian at (204) 957-7437.
Training Tips for Adult Learners
Today’s adult learners are a unique breed, especially when it comes to job training in the tourism industry. They’re a far cry from teenaged workers. In fact, adults can be harder to train.
Learning styles change as one gets older and has been exposed to different work and life experiences. "Adults are not sponges anymore," says Olivia McIvor, an expert in human resources training. "They have a lot of life and work experience, which means they may be inflexible because they know a lot."
That doesn’t mean training for adults is hopeless. Quite the opposite. If you understand the needs and interests of adult learners, training will be a successful exercise. Here are some key points to note.
Respect experience
Adults bring a wealth of expertise to your business. Through previous work positions, they bring a foundation of life experience to their jobs. Your training should reflect this.
Before your training, ask them what specific experience they have in the area. Assess what they know and don’t know, and cater your training to fill particular knowledge gaps—such as operating a computer system or offering great customer service.
"Never assume they know things just because they’re older," says Olivia. Some adults need to learn about new ways of service or management. At the same time, avoid teaching them things they already know. That insults their experience.
Set goals
Adults are more goal-oriented than teenagers. Ensure them that your training sessions include objectives. You may even say at the outset, "Today, in the next two hours, we’ll look at our customer service techniques." Outlining what will be covered sets adult learners at ease.
"They also respond positively to well-prepared training times that cover relevant information—things that can be applied to their work," adds Olivia. In many ways, adults are no-nonsense learners who say to themselves: "Teach me what I need to know, and why it’s applicable to my job."
Seek participation
Your adult workers want to share their knowledge. So let them. Elicit responses that draw out their expertise, such as, "Tell us about how you’ve handled a difficult customer. Share a successful experience you’ve had." Effective training recognizes that adults often learn collectively from each other. "These kinds of conversations break down barriers to learning," adds Olivia, "and they motivate employees because they feel they’re included as part of the training."
Build rapport
Adult learners value a friendly environment. So from the outset, the training leader needs to build rapport with the employees by setting an open, responsive tone. That means showing concern for each learner, understanding the variety of their responsibilities, and knowing that every one is motivated differently and comes with accumulated stories of success.
Offer affirmation
Beyond that, the trainer can offer positive reinforcement. Some adult learners bring fear to their training, or they show inflexibility. By sharing affirmation, the trainer encourages learning. Say things like, "Thank you for sharing your expertise. That was a valuable insight. I’m sure everyone learned something from what you’ve just said."
Move ahead
With these few tips, you can offer training that respects the unique needs of adult learners, and values their expertise. At the same time, you’ll create a healthy workplace where workers are conscientious, productive and teachable—which will make your business fly.
Copyright © 2010 go2 Tourism HR Society. All Rights Reserved.
Tourism Labour Supply and Demand (2008)
- The largest increase in potential labour demand will occur in the food and beverage services industry, which could support nearly 1.22 million full-year jobs by 2025, up from 908,340 full-year jobs in 2006.
- Among the provinces, Alberta is expected to generate the highest potential rate of growth in labour demand, followed by Ontario and British Columbia.
- Between 2006 and 2025, Alberta’s demand for tourism workers could rise from 193,308 jobs to 279,269 jobs, a potential increase of 45%. During that same period, potential labour demand is forecast to rise 35% in Ontario and 32% in British Columbia.
- Among the metropolitan areas, Calgary is expected to generate the highest potential rate of growth in labour demand, followed by Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
- Between 2006 and 2025, Calgary’s demand for tourism workers could rise from 71,720 jobs to 108,323 jobs, a potential increase of 51%. During that same period, potential labour demand is forecast to rise nearly 50% in Toronto, 49% in Edmonton, and 38% in Vancouver.
- Overall, the tourism sector as a whole will experience a surplus in labour equivalent to 4,615 full-year jobs in 2009. However, market conditions are expected to turn around quickly, leading to significant labour shortages in the tourism sector over the medium and long term. In 2010, the potential labour shortage for the tourism sector is forecast to surpass 13,000 full-year jobs; by 2025, this figure could balloon to nearly 257,000 jobs.
For more fast facts about the tourism labour market, visit: http://cthrc.ca/en/research_publications/fast_facts.aspx
SAFE Hospitality is now offering a complimentary session geared specifically to assist supervisors, managers and owners in knowing how to perform their legal duties and obligations in accordance to the Act. These sessions include a free copy of the W210 Act and Regulation.
Our next sessions will be held March 25 in Morden and April 6 in Winnipeg.
The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results.
- Edward de Bono