A fresh brand emphasizes the strengths and goals of a recently announced initiative funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Destination Employment: Your Future Begins Here is the innovative pilot project coordinated by Tourism HR Canada and the Hotel Association of Canada to provide career opportunities to newcomers to Canada. It launches this year in accommodations businesses in five participating regions.
With a national labour shortage stifling the growth of Canada’s tourism sector, it’s imperative to boost awareness of the many opportunities available in tourism and hospitality. Destination Employment will be part of our strategic pillar to make Canadian tourism a destination not just for visitors, but for employment.
The project will highlight the diverse urban and rural regions in which tourism employment is key to economic growth, the wide variety of positions available in the accommodations industry, the many transferable skills that can be acquired working in tourism, and the possibilities for advancement available to those who hope to pursue a career.
To that end, the brand uses the broader term “employment” to cover both jobs and careers. Many see tourism as offering jobs that are a part-time or temporary means to pay the bills. Those jobs absolutely exist and are a perfect fit for individuals who seek a flexible work arrangement while they pursue other goals. Some of them, however, may decide to join the many who’ve built a stable, well-paying career in a dynamic and booming economic driver.
Hotels offer supervisory and managerial roles in all departments, and the career ladder can lead to a role as head of sales, HR, marketing, housekeeping, events, food and beverage, or the full operation. Companies with multiple properties also offer promotion to the corporate office, complete with the opportunity to work and travel across Canada—and beyond. Destination Employment will include positions at a range of levels of responsibility, encouraging newcomers to explore and establish a career in tourism.
Destination Employment also seeks to showcase what participating employers and newcomers will gain. For employers: much-needed staff, who will participate in on-the-job training and add to the properties’ diversity through their experiences, cultures, and languages—boosting these businesses’ ability to welcome Canada’s increasingly international visitor mix. For newcomers: meaningful, stable, well-paying employment in an industry that values the skills they have brought on their journeys to Canada. Those offering employment and those seeking it will find the support and resources to help them reach their destination.
Look for future announcements on how employers and newcomers in Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Atlantic region can participate in a Destination Employment information session in upcoming editions of HR Insider—subscribe here to have it delivered to your inbox.