TBCSA

The Tourism Industry is concerned about the progress which is being made in the development of relevant and usable skills for the future. Current educational programmes are not sufficiently aligned to industry needs and the industry is not being involved enough in curriculum development and in providing structured and meaningful on-the-job practical exposure.

This subject was the focus for the National Tourism Conference hosted by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) in October 2006 where the Tourism Business Council along with other key industry bodies signed a declaration of intent to fast-track the issue of skills development for the industry. The National Tourism Skills Development Forum (NTSDF) has since been formed and the industry is set to play a far more active role in this arena.

The TBCSA held a first workshop for the private sector in late February 2007, and there was a great deal of constructive input from all attendees around the identification of scarce and critical skills, curriculum development and accreditation. The workshop highlighted most importantly the willingness of the private sector to be much more involved in all issues relating to skills development and to volunteer both time and expertise to government structures and agencies to get this right.

Two areas of focus where noted from the workshop.

1. The first relates to the lack of Workplace Skills Plans which are not required from SMME's. The Theta analysis of the sector shows that almost 90% of in the tourism sector employs less than 50 people, and this is the business segment which no longer submits Work Skills Plans. This has left a massive gap in terms of skills development information and industry knowledge for the industry from the very bedrock of the sector.

2. The second area of particular concern relates to government inter-departmental cooperation. The workshop noted that the delivery of Theta cannot be separated from what the Department of Education and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism are doing in terms of education and training. Particular concern was raised about the content of the curriculum in formal schooling and FET colleges around tourism and the disconnect between this training and the Higher Education offerings.

The private sector input to the tourism skills plan is an ongoing project for the Tourism Business Council, and we will be ensuring that the industry has a platform on which to engage, support and volunteer services to continually improve the levels and standard of service offered to our visitors in future.

In addition to involvement on policy issues, the TBCSA continue to work with THETA on practical implementation areas.

HAVE YOUR SAY.

HOW CAN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN DEVELOPING NEEDED SKILLS FOR THE TOURISM SECTOR?

WHAT SCARCE AND CRITICAL SKILLS ARE YOU NOTING IN YOUR BUSINESS?