Michael Carmody Director Institute of Technology, Tralee

1
Michael Carmody Director Institute of
Technology, Tralee
'Education Training An Integral Component of
Quality Tourism'
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Tourism A Global Context

• 700 million international trips p.a.
• 1.6bn in 20 years time
• 70 m jobs
• 4 of global GDP
• Outpaced general economic growth since 1975 by a
  factor of 1.3
• Recovery since 2000 slowdown
• SARS, Iraq, terrorism

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EU Tourism

• 2m businesses (mostly SMEs)
• 5 of GDP employment (3-8)
• 1 direct spend 1.5 indirect spend
• 80 individual/families
• 12.5 of personal expenditure

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Tourism in Ireland

• In 2004, numbers up 3.3 to 6.4m
• Britain decreased by 1
• Europe/US increased by 7
• WTO increase of 10 in world arrivals and 4
  growth in European arrivals
• In 2002, Ireland was perceived by 55 of visitors
  as not providing good value for money
• Room for growth improvement!

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Tourism in Ireland

• Tourist Expenditure 2004
• out-of-state (inc NI) 3.4bn
• Irish carriers 0.6bn
• Domestic 1.04bn
• 5.1bn industry
• Tourism
• 3.5 of exports
• 3.9 of GNP
• Government
• Tax 2.3bn
• 52 of expenditure

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Tourism in Ireland Future

• A Strategy for Irish Tourism 2003 to 2012
• Vision is for a dynamic, innovative, sustainable
  and highly regarded sector
• Double overseas spend to 6bn
• Increase visitor numbers to 10m
• Exceed customer expectation in terms of
  friendliness, quality of environment, diversity
  and depth of culture
• Provide high quality, word-class, competitive
  products and services
• Regionally distributed all year

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Tourism in Ireland Future

• Respect the natural and built environment
• Provide attractive career opportunities
• Enhance skills through experience, training and
  life-long learning
• Respect and support diverse Irish culture
• Provide a positive international profile of
  Ireland.

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Education Training An IntegralComponent of
Quality Tourism ?

• Human Resources
• Employment (2004) 230,927
• 78 Irish nationals
• 22 international origin
• 2002 Visitor Attitude Survey
• 45 identified friendliness and hospitality
  differentiates Ireland
• 49 who said their holiday exceeded their
  expectations did so because of the hospitality
  and friendliness of the people

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Education Training An IntegralComponent of
Quality Tourism ?
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Education Training An IntegralComponent of
Quality Tourism ?

• Yes!!
• Premium product quality image
• People are core
• People are valuable assets
• Require ongoing investment in training and skills
  development

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Human Resources Strategy for Irish Tourism 2005
to 2010

• Strengthen the human resource base, standards of
  performance and professionalism of Irish Tourism

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Human Resources Strategy for Irish Tourism 2005
to 2010

• Issues
• Sustaining a high quality premium product
• Maintaining excellent skills and know-how
• Tight labour supply
• Contribution of non-national workers

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Human Resources Strategy for Irish Tourism 2005
to 2010

• Issues
• Performance enhancement
• Career development
• Greater collaboration between industry and
  education
• Access to learning that is convenient, timely and
  relevant
• Learning must deliver real skills
• Traditional education programmes not enough

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The Challenges

• Employment Trends
• More opportunities
• non-skilled /untrained staff
• Increase in non-national workers
• Diversity of provision
• Multiple service points
• Travel agent airport plane car hire hotel
  restaurant leisure centre retail pub
  activity etc
• Many points of failure!
• Vertical integration (package) but more free
  movers (internet)

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The Challenges

• Non-national workers
• Increasing reliance
• 12 of the 1,310 trainees in Failte Ireland
  training centres in 2004
• Representing 140 countries speaking 70 languages
• Resource for the future of the industry
• Positive view of service industry
• Training specific needs
• irish friendliness
• Cultural knowledge
• Jurys Doyle Hotel Group and Four Seasons Hotel,
  Dublin

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The Challenges

• Perception of industry
• employer of choice?
• status and esteem?
• Pay and conditions?
• Career or job?
• Career opportunities?
• Continuous Professional Development
• traditionally has not existed
• lack of structured and systematic training in
  enterprises
• Credibility of training programmes?
• 52 of employees had formal training (2002)
• Perception investment or cost?

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Education training Investment or Cost?

• Investment
• Career development
• Training plans
• Support individual
• Seek feedback (staff)
• Measure improvement
• Customer
• Business
• Cost
• No training plan
• Lack of support
• too busy cant release
• work up time etc

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Profiting from Learning

• Training enhances productivity
• Valued employees
• Motivated
• Skilled
• Leading companies
• Invest more
• Measure effectiveness

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Tourism Education Training Services Activity
Map
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Role of the IoT Sector

• IoT Sector
• sector represents 40.8 of all courses available
  in Ireland
• provision of further and higher education
  training
• Customer service
• Culture heritage awareness
• Management development
• transfer opportunities
• Further to higher education
• Future
• Reduce course cost structures
• Recognition of prior learning
• Work-based learning /flexible methods of
  delivery
• Recruitment and retention

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ITT Sample Initiatives

• Transfer ladder from FETAC to HETAC programmes
  tourism, culinary and hospitality
• Sharing of modules (cost)
• Day release programmes
• Work based learning combined with college
• Flexible methods of delivery
• Marketing campaigns
• ITT and Fáilte Ireland
• Careers Festival 2005
• Failte Ireland and ITT Welcome Workshops
• Irish Culture
• The Irish Tourism Product
• The Welcome Way
• Health, Safety and Hygiene
• Living and Working in Ireland

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Summary

• Quality Places and Products
• Need Quality People
• Education providers to enhance knowledge and
  skills
• Industry Provides career development
• Get a tourism industry providing
• Quality AND Price
• Mind your Ps and Q!!

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References

• Tourism Facts 2004
• New Horizons for Tourism An Agenda for Action
  September 2003
• Competing Through People a HRD Strategy for Irish
  Tourism 2005 to 2010 May 2005
• Tourism Matters September 2005
• Failte Ireland Cultural Diversity Strategy and
  Action Plan for Tourism Employment April 2005