New Strategic Training Plan – Travel Sector 2009 - 2015

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The Strategic Training Plan – Travel Sector 2009 - 2015 released on 18 May 2009 proposes a wider, more comprehensive workforce development approach to attract and train people in the Travel industry. 

As the first sector strategic training plan using this particular methodology, it has also provided ATTTO the opportunity to examine the approach and improve the process and reporting for the other sectors the ITO covers: museums, aviation and travel.

Overall, the report recommendations focus on improving the way the travel sector attracts, screens, recruits, develops, and recognises people, and how it quality assures education and training.

“The plan is designed to help the travel industry get the right people at the right time, with the right skills in the right place, contributing to productive, sustainable businesses,” explains Elizabeth Valentine, Chief Executive of the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO).

“In the current environment, identifying workforce development issues and investing in priority actions and solutions is crucial. Given the current economic challenges, there has never been a better time for the sector to work together on planning a cohesive way forward,” she says

The research highlights industry perceptions such as limited promotion of the sector, poor screening and quality of applicants, an excess of training courses that are not industry endorsed or nationally recognised, and retention challenges. While ATTTO efforts to make the national qualifications more relevant to industry are recognised, nearly 80% of respondents felt the current framework and therefore provision could be improved.

More than half of those surveyed expected ‘retention of staff’ to remain the major human resource challenge in 2015.

“The strategy proposes ways that we can better promote the industry, and prioritises having strong support systems in place for people to succeed after being employed.  Equally important is the value placed on recognising people for their success,” comments Paul Yeo, Chief Executive of the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ).

Charlie Ives, President of the New Zealand Institute of Travel and Tourism (NZITT), believes the suggestion for industry and all those involved in providing education and training to the travel sector to better align education and training programmes with the needs of industry makes sense.

“ATTTO’s approach to this planning has been to get back to basics, being conscious of moves in the Government’s latest budget to ensure that tertiary investment in industry-relevant skills development is what industry requires,” he says. 

Valentine adds, “Starting in 2008 with the work we did in understanding travel industry occupations, then in completing this comprehensive research into how we build workforce capability, we are addressing a wide range of issues. It’s not enough to just ask what training priorities are within an industry.”

“When we have employers telling us that people are seeking employment with Travel qualifications but that there are far too many of these people who simply don’t have the right skills or attitudes to reduce an employer’s recruitment costs because of these gaps, clearly there is a perceived problem in what is being taught at some institutions."

After an initial process and approach review, Valentine has identified the need for the research and reporting approach to promote clarity about the roles and contributions of the various tertiary providers.

 “While most feedback has been very good, it has been brought to our attention that some of the industry perceptions of tertiary provision captured in the travel sector research and the report is very generic. The report does not facilitate sufficiently clear distinctions between industry concerns with the different tertiary providers.” 

“Receiving feedback from two PTEs about the recently released report has been very helpful in highlighting improvements we can make going forward and also signals areas where industry can better help tertiary providers.” 

“We had not realised that industry perceptions of tertiary providers captured in the research “lumped” all tertiary providers together and were very generic. Consequently the report does not communicate differences in industry perceptions between PTEs and Polytechnics in particular,” she says.

Valentine adds, “Clearly where industry perceptions are not accurate this provides the whole tertiary sector, including the ITO, with an opportunity to look at the information and hear what the big national issues are for employers and employees. The report and ensuing feedback highlights the opportunity to work together to provide clear and accurate information about the value and distinctive contribution of each part of the tertiary sector. A  cohesive and easily understood approach to careers and professional development within the travel sector would be highly valued,” she says.

“In this research, ATTTO in conjunction with key industry people has laid the foundation for clarity, collaboration and common sense,” says James Langton, the Travel Industry Representative on ATTTO’s Board of Directors.

The strategy was developed by ATTTO in conjunction with New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (a division of AUT), TAANZ and NZITT. 

 
More information

For more information please contact Elizabeth Valentine, ATTTO Chief Executive at