Awards
ATTTO Achievement Awards for Excellence in Workplace Training
Each year ATTTO proudly presents awards to businesses that have shown excellence in workplace training. The awards acknowledge the important investment that businesses make in supporting their staff to achieve formal qualifications on the job.
The aviation, tourism and travel award winners proved their exceptional commitment to supporting workplace training, demonstrating innovation in training and assessing, and working to raise the profile of national qualifications and training in their industries.
Here are our winners from 2007:
Tourism Award: Skyline Skyrides, Rotorua
Skyline Skyrides is an iconic New Zealand tourism operation, hosting ten percent of tourists that visit to New Zealand and thirty percent of all tourists to Rotorua.
This popular tourist attraction includes gondolas, luges, a sky swing, scenic walking tracks, and function facilities, as well as retail and food and beverage operations. Situated on the side of Mount Ngongotaha, Skyline Skyrides provides panoramic views of the city centre, Lake Rotorua, and the surrounding geothermal areas.
Recognised by industry as a flagship for workplace training and assessment, Skyline Skyrides is a great example of how on-the-job training is a critical factor to business success.
Skyline Skyrides believe their staff retention levels are amongst the highest in New Zealand tourism enterprises, with management fostering an environment of continuous learning which ensures a wide range of training and development opportunities are available for all staff.
“The majority of our staff are involved in some form of training on a daily basis, whether that be at an assessment level or at a basic coaching level,” says Hayley Murray, Human Resource and Quality Manager.
Skyline Skyrides has a well-developed culture of continuous improvement, and recognise that providing training and development opportunities for staff is one of the key factors in staff satisfaction.
“When staff members get their National Certificate that says they have achieved, which recognises them for something they do well every day, that’s the biggest buzz,” says Ms Murray.
In 2007, Skyline Skyrides had 59 trainees studying for National Certificates in Tourism and Travel, and 13 staff members completing or working towards their Tourism Modern Apprenticeship, reflecting the clear commitment of management towards staff training and development.
“A drive to succeed from above filters down through the whole team,” says Ms Murray. “Without that determination we are not going to move forward, and we would never have been as successful as we are today. We hope that success will grow in the future.”
Travel Award: House of Travel, Wellington
House of Travel Wellington is part of the House of Travel Group, which is the largest privately owned travel company in New Zealand. The House of Travel Group has 90 retail outlets (with specialist corporate, adventure and leisure and group travel outlets) throughout New Zealand. Established in 1987, it employs in excess of 1,350 people.
House of Travel Wellington has seven outlets, employing over 100 staff. They have their own dedicated training team, reflecting their commitment to the professional development of staff.
"We offer a comprehensive training programme for our staff. This includes one-on-one and group training courses to give them the skills required to excel in their jobs," says Natasha Macfarlane, House of Travel Training Executive.
Training includes a six month training plan for all new staff, role change training support, product and airfare training and time management and customer service training. All training is aligned with NZQA qualifications. This means that staff have the opportunity to be formally recognised for the work they perform every day, while also working towards becoming better qualified for their future.
Individual training is a critical factor in House of Travel's long term people strategy, designed to maximise the potential of their staff for the benefit of them as individuals and also for the business as a whole.
"There has been a real increase in staff morale," says Ms Macfarlane. "Staff members who have worked with us before we had our own training team have come back to join us and commented on the difference. We have also seen quite a few experienced consultants join us from other organisations due to a recommendation from our own staff, which shows that they are happy."
"The best thing about staff working towards qualifications on the job is that it motivates them and keeps their enthusiasm and passion for their job alive" says Ms Macfarlane.
Aviation Award: Queenstown International Airport
Queenstown International Airport is situated in the Wakatipu Basin and is overlooked by the Remarkables. The region currently receives 60 percent of all tourists that visit New Zealand.
The Airport employs 13 staff directly, with tenants and regulatory agencies employing a further 150 in and around the airport.
In a workplace where complicated operational requirements and high levels of security are necessary, retaining efficient, competent and well-trained staff is a must.
Chris Read, General Manager - Aeronautical, is one of the company’s longest serving
staff members, and personally understands the benefits of workplace training. Chris was the first person in New Zealand to complete and be awarded the National Diploma in Airport Operations, and has gained extensive knowledge of all facets of the airport’s operations during his 15 years on the job.
“We see it as an investment. If your staff are trained properly then the business gets the benefit of that training up until the time they leave,” says Mr Read.
“We have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all operations at the airport. We need to ask ourselves – are we ready for an emergency or for that operational requirement, and are we trained for it. ATTTO qualifications enable us to say ‘yes’ to those questions.”
All Queenstown Airport operational staff have either completed or are working towards airport qualifications. In 2007 there were four continuing trainees studying for National Certificates in Airport Safety and Airport Customer Service.
Developed in partnership with aviation professionals, the airport qualifications meet the knowledge and skill requirements of the airport, and keep staff responsive to industry changes.
The training and qualifications that staff gain are acknowledged in regular performance and salary reviews, reflecting the value that management place on formally up-skilling their staff both inside and outside of the workplace.
“All staff get time off for training, and we pay any costs associated with that,” says Mr Read. “We hold training sessions at the airport to make it easy for staff to attend. The company also covers all associated costs when off-site training is required.”
