The BC Tourism Learning System:

Strengthening the Secondary Tourism Programs

Pillar

The Nanaimo Accord …

Towards a coordinated strategy and action plan

Submitted By:

Secondary Tourism Educators Group of BC

August, 2006

Updated: August, 2007

Acknowledgements

This strategic plan is the result of a ThinkTank held at Malaspina University College, in Nanaimo, on June 27, 2006. The Secondary Tourism Educators Group appreciates the attendance of the following organizations and individuals and wishes to thank each of them for their continued support, and insightful comments, throughout the process of developing this document.

Ministry Of Advanced Education

Dr Elaine McCreary

Ministry Of Education

Mr Liam Arthurs

Ministry Of Tourism, Sports and the Arts

Mr Norman Lee

Ms Krystyna Ng

BC Centre for Hospitality Leadership & Innovation

Ms Elisabeth Bahner

BC Centre for Tourism Leadership & Innovation

Mr Terry Hood

Public Post Secondary Institutions and Organizations

Mr Lee Aitchison (Camosun University College &

International Council on Hotel Restaurant and Institution Education)

Mr Griff Tripp (Malaspina University College)

Mr Harley Elias (North Island College &

TourismBC)

Dr Ted Wykes (Thompson River University)

STEG also wishes to acknowledge the ongoing assistance and support of the Directors and staff of go2bc – the resource for people in Tourism

The BC Tourism Learning System: Strengthening the Secondary Tourism Programs Pillar

The Nanaimo Accord …

Towards a coordinated strategy and action plan

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Executive Summary

The 2006-2007 school year saw considerable advancement overall for this project. For details, please see the timeline section on pp 15. Several pieces of the puzzle remain to be completed during this upcoming year, however, and enrollment in secondary school Tourism program again declined – according to the latest statistics available.

Tourism is a major driver for the BC economy, currently generating approximately $10 billion every year. Tourism’s objective, using the 2010 Olympics as a springboard, is to double this revenue over the next decade. This will create significant opportunities and equally massive challenges.

Tourism is largely an entrepreneurial sector, comprised of thousands of small businesses. These enterprises cross a broad spectrum of areas, from whale-watching and eco-tours to hotels and restaurants. Such businesses are located in all corners of the province.

Tourism faces a major shortfall in trained personnel. Attrition, combined with growth, is projected to create opportunities for both entrepreneurs and employees in all parts of BC. This shortfall is projected to be the largest of any sector in the economy and will include a significant number of well-paid supervisory and management positions.

Secondary schools are located everywhere these shortfalls will be felt. They are a logical place to begin addressing this challenge, especially as secondary schools are filled with young people keen to make their mark in life. Entrepreneurial spirit can be fostered in secondary schools – and lifestyle elements most attractive to young people are present in the tourism sector.

It is logical; therefore, that Tourism should be the first occupation outside of the traditional skilled trades to have its curriculum updated under the Ministry Of Education’s Job Training initiative. This new curriculum is designed to ensure a consistent standardized core of skills while allowing the flexibility to:

1. provide industry sanctioned national certification for those students seeking direct-to-work transition;
2. ) develop dual credit options for those students wishing to take advantage of the well established BC Tourism Learning System for direct transition to post secondary programs; and
3. foster an entrepreneurial spirit in those future business owners and initiators who will be the driving force of the economy over the next few decades.

The challenge is that since 2001, with the cancellation of ‘direct’ Career Preparation funding, Tourism programs in BC secondary schools have experienced a significant decline. The 60 to 80 programs that existed in 2001 have been reduced to 16 to 18 programs, in 2005. The number of students completing Tourism courses also has declined by approximately 50% in the same time period. This trend must be reversed immediately.

This Strategic Plan includes both the Action Steps for effective implementation of the new Tourism Curriculum and Program Structure, and a suggested multi-year funding proposal designed to guarantee the sustainability of appropriate secondary school Tourism Programs through 2013.

The BC Tourism Learning System: Strengthening the Secondary Tourism Programs Pillar

The Changing Environment: Challenges and Opportunities

BC secondary tourism programs have been an integral component of the nationally acclaimed BC Tourism Learning System, developed during the 1990s. A number of changes in the early part of this decade saw support and coordination for both secondary and post-secondary programs decrease, and the exemplary collaboration of this 2+2+2 model had become under-supported, fragmented and under-utilized.

With the recent creation of go2, the resource for people in tourism and the two BC Centres for Leadership and Innovation (hospitality and tourism), strengthening of this provincial model has now commenced at the post-secondary level. This paper outlines corresponding initiatives that now need to take place at the secondary level. This is a timely and necessary initiative, to ensure student career opportunities in this key driver of BC’s economy are maximized.

As we establish ourselves in the 21^st Century, the paradigms and processes of the 20^th Century are falling away with increasingly rapidity. Globalization, technology change and the disintegration of large corporations in favour of smaller enterprises now are all facts of life. Today many of the smaller enterprises that are the economic mainstays of whole cultures are based in the Tourism sector. This is a sector where global competition is fierce and the inculcation of sophisticated skill sets in employers and employees alike is vital to success.

The Tourism sector in BC is one of the primary economic engines in the Province, generating almost $10 billion annually. However, it is a sector with an aging demographic and there will soon be shortages in all occupations within the sector. Moreover, tourism, despite being a dynamic, interesting sector, addressing many of the work and lifestyle issues important to young people, is not immediate as a career in the minds of young people. For young entrepreneurs, tourism is primarily small businesses, many requiring very little in financing to start. This new curriculum in effect ‘de-mystifies’ the tourism sector: introducing, educating and training young people to play a vital role in an important economic sector that offers a sustainable career, diversity (food services, wildlife guides, sport, event planning, public relations, etc) and fun and fulfilling opportunities.

The Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Olympics Games is an additional opportunity to showcase BC, and in particular this province’s thriving Tourism sector. The challenge is to meet the projected shortfall in trained personnel within the Tourism Sector. This challenge was recently enlarged by (1) the mandate for the Tourism sector to double its economic impact to $20 billion annually over the next decade and (2) the federal government’s announcement that immigration is not the recommended solution to labour shortfalls.

Recent articles such as the one The Vancouver Sun, June 2006 (attached as an addendum), outline some of the challenges faced by small businesses – many of whom are tourism or tourism –related enterprises – highlight the need for a greater connection between the education system and the economy as a whole.

The Ministry of Education’s recent focus on Job Training is timely, freeing secondary schools, through this new curriculum, to become one potential means of meeting this challenge.

The Current HR Crisis

The projected labour shortfall in the Tourism sector is well documented. This chart shows that one of the most significant shortfalls in all of BC will be in good paying Supervisory and Management positions:

Source: COPS & RKA

The following chart demonstrates that shortfalls will be experienced across the spectrum of industry groupings within the sector, with tourism shortfalls the most significant in the provincial economy:

The problem, therefore, is how best to address, quickly and effectively, the shortage of qualified employees across a diverse range of occupations within the tourism sector.

Tourism Secondary Programs as a Part of the Solution

As the following chart demonstrates, the projected labour shortfalls in the Tourism sector are distributed widely across the province:

Secondary schools are public learning institutions located in every location where these shortfalls are predicted.

The opportunity to use secondary schools to address the evident need is enhanced by the recently completed update to the Secondary School Tourism Curriculum. Taking advantage of the Ministry Of Education’s initiative in Job Training, this new curriculum (for Grades 11 and 12) includes:

1. a solid, industry approved core full program – based on the outcomes of the national certification, Tourism Essential, course -- to ensure consistency of graduates for all stakeholders;
2. industry-based, and supported, Training Elective alternatives – to address projected entry level shortfalls with direct links to industry employers as an integral part of the format;
3. reinvigoration of the BC Tourism Learning System, including Dual Credit options – to help address the projected Supervisory and Management shortfalls in the most time-efficient manner possible through direct built-in links to post-secondary institutions, both public and private.

The result for students is enhanced opportunities to contribute to the economy immediately, through either direct-to-work transition or direct-to-post-secondary transition (based on potential early admission programs). Existing retention rates for students also should improve because their initial decision-making regarding a career is based on “genuine experience”, as defined by the Conference Board Of Canada.

While secondary schools may not be the entire answer to the shortfall, they can certainly play an important role as part of an integrated strategy.

Where We Are Today

From a provincial perspective, Tourism is the first curriculum developed for an Occupation other than a traditional skilled trade under the Ministry of Education new strategic initiative for Job Training.

From a national perspective, this curriculum includes accepted industry-based certification modules and options, developed through the Canadian Tourism Human Resource council. Making available to all Tourism Careers “Full Program” schools resources and materials already being used in the five Canadian Academy Of Travel & Tourism “Gold Programs” located around the province.

From a practical perspective, since the end of dedicated funding in 2001, the number of students completing Tourism courses has decreased by approximately 50%. We are also reduced to approximately 18 ‘full’ Tourism programs, at a time when the need for educated, well-trained employees is increasingly significant.

Where We Need To Be

To more effectively provide opportunities for students around the province, an estimated 50 to 60 Full Tourism Programs, are required, as defined in the new curriculum, in place and functioning by 2010. This number of programs would serve as an effective cornerstone to the BC Tourism Learning System and build momentum for a more utilized longstanding transition agreement between secondary school and post secondary Tourism programs in BC. It also would provide a solid basis for direct-to-work transition students in all areas of the province.

To achieve this objective, we are piloting the new curriculum in four to six secondary schools in the 2006-2007 school year; combined with teacher Training Sessions throughout the province – in order to be prepared to implement the curriculum to a projected 20-30 schools in the 2007-2008 year. This process, along with a marketing and awareness campaign to all BC schools, also should provide the impetus to double the number of Full Programs, bringing the total to 50-60, in 2008-2009.

The Strengthening Process: What is needed

Projected Targets by 2008-2009

The targets by which to measure the success of this process include:

• 50 to 60 Full Program schools ( i.e., Tourism 11, Tourism 12 and Work Experience 12 minimum)
• 12 Canadian Academy Of Travel & Tourism Gold Programs

(ideally 2 per recognized Tourism region in BC)

• 1500 to 1800 Full Tourism Program graduates per year

This projected number of graduates is important because anecdotal evidence of experience shows that amongst “Full Program” secondary school graduates, approximately 75% will remain employed in the tourism sector for more than 5 years while roughly 50% continue to pursue careers in tourism for more than 10 years following graduation.

It will be a manageable process; provided formal recognition of Tourism as an Occupational & Skilled Trades Program is granted immediately, paving the way to directed funding to Full Tourism Program schools.

Seven Critical Lines Of Action:

I Promote the new Tourism 11 and 12 curriculum and Full Program Format

This is a multi-step, multi-phase plan, of which two crucial steps – the release of the new curriculum at the Tourism Educators Consortium, and the secondary tourism programs ThinkTank of significant stakeholders (July, MUC, Nanaimo)– already have been completed. As a consequence, the BC Tourism Learning System is in the process of effective re-invigoration province-wide and the remainder of the plan has been developed. The first phase is now complete.

The second phase is the promulgation of the new curriculum as widely as possible. The steps to completion of this phase are the:

1. use of the news media
2. Training Sessions – to be held at colleges offering post-secondary programs throughout the province over the next year
3. The promotion and use of the Secondary Tourism Educators Group (STEG) website as a portal for distribution of information to interested parties

.

II Ensure there are functioning Local Industry Advisory Committees for Full Program Schools

The five existing Canadian Academy Of Travel & Tourism Gold Programs (located in Quesnel, Prince George, New Westminster, Invermere and Comox) all have functioning Local Industry Advisory Groups. These groups of employers, local to each school, are invaluable sources of advice and assistance.

The new curriculum “Full Program” format requires that such a committee exists for each program. Given that the projected 50 to 60 Full Programs in operation by 2008-2009 ideally will represent one school per existing school district, these committees could be either district or school authorized bodies.

III . Reintegrate secondary and post-secondary programs

Releasing the new secondary curriculum at the Tourism Educators Consortium in May of this year re-established the longstanding connections between secondary and post-secondary institutions offering Tourism programs. The ThinkTank in June (of secondary and post-secondary educators and other significant stakeholders) further consolidated these existing relationships. A concerted effort will now be made, through the Teacher Training Sessions and future conferences (TEC, etc), to build on these contacts and networks.

IV . Build on Dual Credit programs to enhance Transitions to Post-Secondary

Two pilot Dual Credit programs will be functioning, in different parts of the province, in 2006-2007. Other colleges already have expressed interest in implementing this model by 2007-2008. Implementation of Full Programs at 20-30 secondary schools by this time should provide ample opportunity for this form of direct transition to grow and flourish

V. Build on Direct-To-Work Training Elective programs to enhance Transitions

to the Workplace

The new curriculum allows for the creation of Job Training BAA electives, utilizing industry sanctioned certification programs (emerit, etc). Local Industry Advisory Groups will play a significant role in the selection of these electives and their implementation, ensuring that graduates are prepared for the positions available in each local area of the province. The projected number of graduates by 2008-2009 should guarantee a core of trained entry-level employees for the sector, regardless

of geographical location.

VI Train teachers of Tourism specifically to deliver this new curriculum model at secondary schools. A series of Training Sessions is proposed for the upcoming school year, to upgrade the skills of current teachers of Tourism. In addition, negotiations are underway with existing teacher training institutions in BC to develop a program specific to tourism education and make this available to new teachers

VII. Participate in the Move-0n-Up career awareness campaign

The tourism sector HR agency known as go2bc has a new career awareness campaign called Move On Up, which is intended to attract potential tourism professionals in an increasingly competitive market. Inclusion of the secondary school Tourism programs seems a natural step. STEG will work to ensure this happens through discussions with go2, the BC centre for tourism leadership and innovation and the BC Centre for Hospitality L&I.

Required Instructor Resources

Two comprehensive print resources have been recommended for use as part of the new curriculum. In addition, three resources specific to this curriculum are being developed by the provincial team and will be available prior to August 31^st. These include Teacher resources for:

• Suggested Classroom Activities and Assessment Strategies
• Work Experience Monitoring and Tracking (and Local Industry Advisory Group Practices)
• Aboriginal Tourism and Effective Practices In Integrating Aboriginal Culture into Tourism Programs

In addition, a broad spectrum of tourism industry-based certification courses will be available for implementation (as part of Training Electives). These include, but are not limited to:

• Guest Services
• Fishing Guide
• HouseKeeping Attendant
• Front Desk Agent
• Visitor Information Councillor
• Local Tour Guide
• Food & Beverage Server
• Banquet Server

A pilot in Adventure Recreation will also be developed, including Avalanche Certification, etc, during the 2006-2007 school year. Other specific Occupation models will no doubt be developed in the next few years across the full spectrum of industry groupings within the tourism sector.

One of the roles of the Local Industry Advisory Councils will be to approve which specific Occupation Electives for offering in a specific location, based on local workforce needs.

The STEG website, http://www.steg.ca/, will be the electronic home for all resources, best practices, etc., related to secondary school program implementation. This site also will be linked to other stakeholder sites.

The New Tourism Program Orientation and Teacher Training Sessions will be used to update existing teachers of Tourism on the appropriate application of these resources.

Program Promotion

A wide range of approaches is applicable for program promotion, including the word of mouth momentum currently developing. Appropriate Professional Specialist Associations for teachers (i.e. Career Educators Society, Business Education and Home Economics teachers) have been informed – and have relayed this information to their respective members.

The Ministry of Education will distribute information in September. This avenue is not available until after formal sign off by the Minister and therefore will occur only when regular distribution channels resume operations in the fall.

The Teacher Training Sessions will further encourage dissemination of appropriate information.

The STEG website, once teachers are alerted to it, will serve a promotional as well as an educational purpose, on an ongoing basis.

The BCTLI, through its BC Tourism Online Tourism Resource Centre (launch: Fall 2006), will be linked to the STEG website and will distribute information about secondary tourism programming to the numerous anticipated users of this superportal. The go2 website also will be linked to the STEG website and serve a similar purpose for sector employers and other stakeholders.

Other ideas include:

• Student case competitions for employer audience

This format has worked well for post secondary institutions. Inclusion of secondary school students is proposed for future years.

• Participation in Skills Canada competitions

Continuing this activity (i.e. Food & Beverage Server students, etc.) is seen as another effective means of promotion.

More such ideas will be developed, and circulated, over the pilot year. .

Professional Development For Tourism Teachers

This is a critical piece in the implementation of the new curriculum. With its emphasis on Job Training, and industry-based resources, tourism education at secondary schools has undergone a radical departure. The traditional secondary school approach of releasing curriculum during a brief presentation at a Specialist Association annual conference, followed by informal mentoring, will not be sufficient because of the comprehensive adaptation in current practices necessitated by new curriculum.

Moreover, with the removal of directed funding in 2001, teacher professional development is also no longer funded adequately. Many existing provincial Tourism teachers now feel isolated and out of the loop.

More structure, in the form of the Teacher Training Sessions, located in the regions of those now teaching or those interested in commencing the BC tourism program has been designed to counter this current trend.

Teacher Education Credentials

Attrition will take a natural toll on teacher numbers. It is estimated that 75% of existing teachers of Tourism in BC will be eligible for retirement by 2013.

As for new young teachers of Tourism, due to district contractual obligations, they are frequently ‘bumped’ from positions after one or two years – just as programs are taking root – often by people with no particular enthusiasm for the ‘tourism portion of the job description’.

No new teachers of Tourism are being specifically trained at our universities.

Only Technology Education (‘shop teachers’) is currently credentialed formally as Skilled Trades instructors for the secondary school system.

These conditions must be addressed.

As a formally recognized Occupational & Skilled Trade, with directed funding, Tourism would become distinct from the general range of secondary school electives (e.g. Psychology, Writing 12, etc.). Secondary school Tourism programs would then entail both the benefits and responsibilities inherent in organized Job Training.

To achieve this objective, the following initiatives are being proposed:

1. A Teacher of Tourism educational module be developed with an accredited university/university college teacher training institution to professionally designate new teachers of Tourism as they enter the education profession. The two centres (BCTLI, BCCHLI) may be able to work with STEG and their member schools to expedite this project.
2. The proposed Teacher Training Session be used to professionally designate existing teachers of Tourism

The proposed focus of these teacher-training modules would include, but not be exclusive to tourism sector content and industry-based certification, developing community-based resources (including Local Industry Advisory Groups and Work Placements), integration of multi-cultural learners (including Aboriginal students), best practice instructional strategies and WorkPlace Safety.

Communications and Resources

To develop and implement this new curriculum and format, STEG proposes to link/partner with:

• Ministry Of Education (ongoing), plus the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Advanced Education (where appropriate)
• go2bc (ongoing), plus the CTHRC and CHRIE (where appropriate)
• BCTLI & BCCHLI (ongoing)
• TORC & go2bc websites (ongoing, via the STEG website)
• TEC, plus all post-secondary articulation committees, public and private, and other related stakeholders (ongoing, but with particular links to the TEC and TIAC annual conferences where possible)

STEG also proposes to seek industry sponsorships and partnerships for specific projects (where appropriate).

Proposed Timeline and Action Plan

Appendix

Support Reading

Skills shortage hurting small business

Small-scale employers, particularly in rural areas, can't find new staff

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Increasing retirements and a hot economy are combining to leave small-business owners throughout British Columbia unable to find the skilled staff they need to run their businesses, according to a BC Skills Force Initiative sponsored by the BC Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Development Association.

The survey, presented to Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen at a meeting today, canvassed more than 1,800 small businesses across the province, outside of the Greater Vancouver and Victoria regions.

John Winter, president and chief executive officer of the BC Chamber of Commerce, said businesses around the province are finding it difficult to carry out their operations in the face of increasing worker shortages.

"We are not at the Alberta stage, but it's not far from that in the northeast . . . in the Peace area, it is probably there," said Winter, referring to shortages in Alberta that have employers from hotels to oil companies recruiting abroad to fill vacancies. "And as we start to ramp up all this construction in this part of the province, we're short too."

Winter said small businesses are searching for ways to cope.

"There's a chain of restaurants I won't name, but they're talking about staying closed on Mondays because they have a shortage of chefs," he said. "They are consulting with us because they want our opinion."

Paul Wiest, project manager for the BC Skills Force Initiative, said the shortages are blocking opportunities for small businesses.

"They are not able to take on more work," he said. "We have heard all kinds of examples, like the construction contractor from Fernie who said, 'I would double my business tomorrow if I could find the workers'."

Wiest said in another case, an electrical contractor had a message on his voicemail to tell callers not to bother trying to reach him because he is booked for the next six months.

"A lot of this is driven by the very hot economy right now, but what we see as the bigger issue down the road is when people get to retirement age, which is just around the corner for a lot of baby boomers, where will the employers find workers, and who is going to buy their businesses when they retire," said Wiest.

Winter said small businesses need the support of government in policy issues and areas such as lobbying the federal government to make it easier for workers to come here for jobs, but he said the there is no single answer to the dilemma. He said all stakeholders must be involved in coming up with answers that meet the needs of individual regions and communities.

"We don't believe a government cookie cutter solution, a one size fits all approach is going to help here," he said. "These are local issues and they are different in Sechelt from Dawson Creek.

"We are coming to the conclusion that the solutions have to be found locally."

Business owners across the province identified a number of issues around the skills shortage, including:

Inadequate skills levels, including most notably younger workers who are showing up without basic life skills such as arriving on time for work, being able to do enough basic math to count out cash at a counter, or dressing appropriately for the work -- shortcomings that have left employers complaining that educational and training institutions are not adequately preparing graduates for today's workplace.

A lack of skilled trades workers, exacerbated employers say by a lack of easily accessible training for people who want to pursue an apprenticeship and by employee poaching.

On-the-job training that is costly and difficult for small businesses to carry out and can result in their newly trained employees leaving to take other jobs.

Small business owners lack the resources to have a human resource plan in place to recruit and retain employees

A disconnect between small business employment needs and B.C.'s educational system and one employers feel could be alleviated somewhat by fine tuning the high school career and personal planning program and work experience.

A lack of awareness among small business about employment-related programs and services available to them.

Only 20 per cent of the business surveyed had a succession plan for their business, both for filling jobs as their employees retire and for retiring themselves.

Small businesses feel they can't compete with large employers in wages and benefits, a situation that is felt most acutely in booming economic areas where the large employers are able to attract workers with higher paying jobs.

Rural communities have trouble attracting people to work, and even if they find people who don't mind the isolation, often their spouses or partners may not want to move away from urban areas.

Immigrant, aboriginal, disabled and older workers are seen as a resource for workers but small businesses pointed out they often lack the time and the wherewithal to go through the bureaucratic hoops to sponsor immigrant workers. On other non-traditional workers, employers said they lack familiarity with the agencies and processes that would help them tap into this source of labour.

gshaw@png.canwest.com

STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING SKILL SHORTAGES

In-house training 39%

Other strategies 21%

Flexible work schedules 11%

Use of apprentices 9%

Performance/profit-based compensation 7%

Hiring more older workers 5%

Succession planning 4%

Hiring more internal co-op workers 3%

Hiring more immigrants 2%

© The Vancouver Sun 2006