Destination Inclusion
Empowering Racialized Individuals to Succeed in Tourism
Destination Inclusion offers learning and mentorship opportunities to racialized individuals in communities across Eastern Ontario.
Participants gain access to specialized skills assessments and customized training to enhance their technical, essential, transferable, and cultural competencies — with a focus on those that tourism and hospitality employers are seeking as the province reopens and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program includes self-driven e-learning modules related to Front Desk, Housekeeping, and Cooking operations, micro-learning assets which provide additional information to contextualize the learning content and provide tailored supports, and mentorship support to connect participants with industry professionals and networking opportunities.
The Destination Inclusion program has ended. Currently registered participants may continue to complete their training until July 31, 2022.
Destination Inclusion Benefits
Participants in the Destination Inclusion program will have the opportunity to:
Enhance transferable skills and language competencies
Achieve better employment outcomes by acquiring industry-needed skills
Explore a variety of career opportunities and paths in the tourism sector
Access a broad support network and mentorship opportunities
Obtain greater confidence and self-esteem in workplace settings
Gain a greater understanding of the tourism sector and Canadian workplace culture
Participant Eligibility
Participants meeting these criteria are eligible for the Destination Inclusion program:
- Self-identify as a member of a racialized group*
- Reside in Eastern Ontario
For participants whose first language is not English, meeting of level 5 or higher on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is recommended.
Read About Past Graduates
Hire a Destination Inclusion Graduate
Destination Inclusion graduates are actively seeking opportunities to apply their skills in the Ottawa-area tourism and hospitality industry.
If you’re looking for staff to fill roles related to front desk operations, housekeeping, or cooking, contact info@destinationinclusion.ca to connect with local, trained job seekers.
Become a Mentor
Looking to give back to your community? Want to showcase the many pathways available in tourism and hospitality? Mentors are an integral part of Destination Inclusion. If you have experience in the tourism or hospitality sector — whether through employment or education — you can help support and encourage people seeking to enhance their skills. You’ll be supported through an orientation session, then matched with a participant based on their career interests and learning goals. You’ll also have the option to participate in the cross-cultural competencies and job search strategy training sessions offered to participants.
Additional Skills Training in Ontario
Looking to give back to your community? Want to showcase the many pathways available in tourism and hospitality? Mentors are an integral part of Destination Inclusion. If you have experience in the tourism or hospitality sector — whether through employment or education — you can help support and encourage people seeking to enhance their skills. You’ll be supported through an orientation session, then matched with a participant based on their career interests and learning goals. You’ll also have the option to participate in the cross-cultural competencies and job search strategy training sessions offered to participants.
This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario
Destination Inclusion Delivery Partners
Destination Inclusion Provides the Right Ingredients for a New Career
Lydie Adegbindi
Participant Lydie Adegbindi shares how Destination Inclusion has helped her explore a career that draws on her personal interests.
I was referred to the Destination Inclusion program by one of my mentors, and I did not hesitate to take the opportunity, especially because it empowers minority groups like me. Another reason for me is that the modules included Line Cook, as cooking has always been one of my passions in life.
The learning materials were well-organized and the training drew my attention to utilizing the right words or names for the kitchen utensils, equipment, and cooking processes.
From the information session, everything was very detailed and explicit. The participants were given all the necessary information before it commenced. The mentors took us through all the steps, from the application to the completion of the courses, and also provided a mentorship program for the different modules. Throughout the learning process, I was able to receive prompt feedback for technical problems that occurred.
My hope is that this could also open job opportunities as soon as possible for people among us who would like to make a career in these fields that we have been trained in.
Destination Inclusion a "Voice of the Voiceless"
Shailesh Shrestha
Participant Shailesh Shrestha describes how Destination Inclusion has played a key role in facilitating a career change in a new country:
“My professional background was in various forms of performing arts such as radio, theater, television, and film back in Nepal,” Shailesh stated.
Shailesh originally immigrated to New York City, where he started a completely new career in the service and hospitality industry. “I saw a job posting in the neighbourhood diner,” he explained. “I was not familiar with the terminology, but I dared to apply for the position as bus boy without any basic knowledge or experience. Fortunately, they offered me the job, and I started right away. That was the start to my open-ended career path in the service and hospitality industry. Since then, I have worked in five-star and diamond landmark hotels and upscale fine dining establishments managed and operated by celebrity chefs.”
He added, “I did not have any privileged economic and educational background, but I demonstrated the guts and determination to move forward and I ultimately accomplished what I deeply wanted to be. Being an immigrant, I strongly believe that we have that level of audacity, strength, and resilience because we know the true meaning of equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
After spending two decades in the United States, Shailesh and his family moved to Canada. “We came to this amazing, immigrant-friendly nation to explore the remaining achievable dreams and aspirations,” he said. “But we arrived when the pandemic was at its highest level and entire markets were closed. Despite my outstanding achievements and experience in the service and hospitality industry, I was not able to find any equivalent job with livable minimum wage.”
He started frequently participating in many training sessions, forums, and virtual job fairs. Shailesh connected with the Destination Inclusion program through the Canadian Immigrant job fair.
“I signed up for the mentorship program, which is amazingly useful to accelerate one’s career. As per a suggestion from my mentor, I enrolled myself in the online Hospitality Essentials Front Desk Agent course,” he shared. “After completing this, I was able to pursue the certification and am now equipped and emboldened with full enthusiasm and confidence. I never thought I would move from food and beverage to front desk. This opportunity and certification led to an open-ended path for a new career. After completing this online course, I have been looking for more opportunities to grab through Destination Inclusion and Tourism HR Canada. I strongly believe this organization has contributed so much to empower racialized individuals, Indigenous peoples, women, and marginalized communities. As I promote through my social activism, we need more Destination Inclusion types of programming to make sure we are an equitable and just society and nation.”
If you’re interested in participating in this free program, which offers skills training and mentoring opportunities, please email info@destinationinclusion.ca.
Destination Inclusion Supports Lifelong Learning
Youssef Skalli
Participant Youssef Skalli explains how Destination Inclusion has played a key role in his lifelong learning journey:
Within my pro bono coaching activities, I engaged with a passionate group of young professional front desk agents in the tourism industry that needed support to structure their transferable skills. After 45 minutes of active listening, my intellectual curiosity about this job was climbing. I wanted to know more about what is behind those calm and smiling faces we meet every time we check in/out of a hotel.
Thanks to World Skills and Tourism HR Canada, I could enroll in the Destination Inclusion learning program.
The moment I started the first self-paced e-learning module related to the front desk agent role, my curiosity along with my respect to that crucial role for any hotel team didn’t stop growing.
I am so glad that I took this complete course; it is a great addition to my lifelong learning journey. Front desk agents are not only those (most of the time) friendly and professional individuals greeting us whenever we step into a hotel reception. The job requires a variety of leadership and communication skills which implies also strong resilience, accountability, teamwork, business acumen, health and safety awareness…
I believe we are all “front desk agents” at one moment or the other, whether in our personal or professional life.
A great learning, thank you Destination Inclusion team!
If you’re interested in participating in this free program, which offers skills training and mentoring opportunities, please email info@destinationinclusion.ca.
Destination Inclusion Offers Life-Changing Opportunities
Noeul Kang
Participant Noeul Kang offers this inspiring testimonial:
“I signed up for Destination Inclusion, and it changed my life. The e-learning materials had given me the proper knowledge related to my field to identify transferable skills for preparing myself for the Canadian labour market. I was not sure what to pursue since I moved to Canada. This program certainly gave me the right tools to navigate my career path and connections with people in the field that I’m interested in. The mentorship program has been beneficial to reshape my resume and cover letter and sharpen my interview skills. I appreciate all Destination Inclusion team members. Thank you so much again!“
If you’re interested in participating in this free program, which offers skills training and mentoring opportunities, please email info@destinationinclusion.ca.
This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario