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Tourism HR Canada to Develop Tourism Competency Framework

Future Skills Framework LogoTourism HR Canada is pleased to announce a three-year initiative to address the changing nature of work in the tourism sector, funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program.

The Future Skills Framework project will see the creation of a comprehensive and sustainable pan-Canadian competency framework for the tourism economy, representing its five associated industries: accommodations; food and beverage services; transportation; recreation and entertainment; and travel services.

The framework will be a dynamic, comprehensive compendium of competencies and essential employability and social skills that will build on the occupational standards Tourism HR Canada has developed and operated with over the past 25 years.

Rather than a suite of occupation-specific standards, which can be costly and difficult to maintain, the framework will consist of one library of easily updated competency elements that will define current and future skills in the tourism sector, along with various tools to guide its use.

The need for the Future Skills Framework is rooted in the skills gaps and mismatches found across the Canadian labour market, as well as the benefits associated with using competencies in relation to the increasing pace of change in today’s workplaces.

Employers, educators, governments, career counsellors, industry associations, job seekers, and other tourism stakeholders can access the framework to:

  • Improve credential recognition
  • Bolster training and development
  • Consolidate recruitment and selection criteria
  • Outline succession planning
  • Define career planning pathways
  • Refine performance management practices
  • Delineate occupation profiles

Specific to tourism, the availability of a competency framework addresses several needs, including:

  • Skills forecasting as an exploratory new methodology for the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes
  • Increasing coherence on the defining of skills in the sector to improve learner and labour mobility and increase productivity
  • Improving the quality of education and training provision, and informing curriculum content for stronger alignment with ongoing market demands and needs
  • Providing the basis or a system for individuals to compare credentials or qualifications regardless of where they were earned (in Canada or internationally), with skill requirements for specific occupations
  • Adapting to present and emerging trends that influence work performed in the sector

The creation of a pan-Canadian tourism competency framework is a progressive and future-oriented initiative to provide a range of stakeholders with a better way to align the skills available within individuals of the Canadian labour market.

Over the course of the project, several opportunities for participation will be available. The development and content of the competency framework will greatly benefit from the expertise of those throughout the various tourism industries, as well as those with experience in developing competencies and competency frameworks.

Stay tuned to HR Insider for announcements on how you can get involved and share your valuable knowledge and experience.

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