New Destination Toronto Program Aims To Help Hospitality Industry Staff Up Again

November 4, 2021 ctn_admin

Things are looking up in the hospitality industry. But businesses and workers are facing a new reality, and those joining the work force or heading back to their old jobs will find a different environment than the one they’re used to.

There are new health and safety rules in place. And customers are perhaps a little more stressed than they might have been in 2019.

It’s a tricky environment to navigate, but a new program called Hospitality EDGE, a free, online educational package for hospitality workers or those looking for a job in the industry, could help make it a lot easier.

“Hospitality EDGE offers courses for furloughed employees returning to the workforce, current workers who want or need to up-skill, and those interested in joining the hospitality industry,” said Andrew Weir, Executive Vice President, Destination Development at Destination Toronto. 

“Our goal is to help workers retrain, upgrade skills, explore new positions and get on the path to re-employment in the hospitality industry. We also want to keep furloughed workers that are passionate about the industry connected to the people, businesses and sector they love.”  

The new program is delivered by Destination Toronto in close partnership with the City of Toronto’s Economic Development & Culture department, Tourism Mississauga and the Tourism Office of the City of Brampton, and is made possible through funding from workforce development initiatives from the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture Industries. The program is open to anyone who lives or works in Toronto, Mississauga or Brampton,

Returning to a job after a long layoff should be a happy time. But the industry has changed, and that can make it difficult for hospitality employees, as well as guests.

 “People are more stressed” these days, said Mandie Abrams, Executive Director at the Hospitality Workers Training Centre. “People are more concerned about their environment. We’ve heard stories of customers needing to be managed differently, whether it’s regarding compliance with COVID regulations or just having expectations because they’ve been in lockdown and they’re now out.”

Workers also have had a tough time with layoffs and lost wages.

Watching the damage done to the hospitality sector and to their own lives was “almost like a mourning or a grieving process, where all of your identity and all of the perception of yourself is suddenly put into question,” Abrams explained.

Weir said Destination Toronto surveyed employers and hospitality workers to find out what the biggest needs were for training and improving skills.

“It really came down to two key themes; health and safety, particularly as they related to the new protocols, and customer service given the new circumstances, including de-escalation and managing customer expectations.

“The experiences they used to have might be different now, so we have help them steer through that while still creating a sense of welcome.”

“Customer expectations have changed, the environment has changed significantly, so we focus on the importance of customer service, cultural awareness, and helping with conflict resolution and customer expectations,” Abrams said. “And obviously being safe at work and being able to contribute at the workplace.”

Adam Morrison, President and CEO of the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation, said it’s easy to see the stress on the faces of people when they first return to a hotel or a restaurant after being away, in some cases, for more than a year.

“We need those people to have an amazing experience because they’re the leaders that are going to tell their families and friends and help drive recovery.”

Hospitality EDGE was developed with input from both employers and workers. The courses are taken online with live instructors who’ve worked in the industry, which allows students to interact with experts and exchange ideas.

Courses are connected to five critical skill sets for today’s workforce: Health & Safety; Customer Service; Digital Literacy; Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism; and Resiliency.

Abrams said students also get help with polishing their resumes and preparing for a job interview; something they might not have had to do for years. Boosting their confidence also is a key part of the training.

“We want to remind them that they have the skills, they are in demand, and they can present themselves in a way that will help them move back into their careers,” she said. The courses also help people understand that the skills they acquire in the hospitality world are skills they’ll have for the rest of their lives.

Morrison said anyone who completes the training will receive a Skills Pass, a document that shows prospective employers exactly what kind of skills the worker has achieved from the Hospitality EDGE program.

It’s doubtful that any workers in the world have been hit harder than those in the hospitality business.  Across Ontario, 373,000 people have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 restrictions. Some workers have gone off to other careers, but Weir said it’s important to retain as much staff as possible.

“The hospitality sector is all about people. We’ve been fortunate in this city, this destination, to have so many strong front line and back-of-house staff that really make the difference to someone’s experience when they visit. Being able to retain those people in the industry is important.”

Weir also noted that the program can help existing workers expand their skill set and move into new, more substantial roles in the industry.

“We want people to realize there are opportunities in the hospitality sector,” he said. “That this is a sector looking for talent and looking for people right now, and that will continue as more businesses scale up. The sector is beginning to gain some momentum and there are opportunities. Whether they’ve worked in the industry or not, we hope they’ll look at the hospitality industry.”

“We’re kind of reinvesting in them,” Morrison said. “We’re showing them that the industry cares about them and values them.

“We want them to come back for the long term.”

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