Three-Year Project Helped Restore Thousands of Jobs and Build a More Resilient, Inclusive Tourism Sector.
Over the past three years, Tourism HR Canada has spearheaded a transformative national initiative to address the severe labour disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tourism Workforce Recovery project—funded by Employment and Social Development Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program—has concluded after exceeding expectations and delivering lasting infrastructure, tools, and partnerships to support Canada’s tourism economy.
With an investment of over $4 million, the project ran from 2022 to 2025 and focused on helping to realign, retrain, and upskill the tourism workforce. The industries served include accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and travel services—industries that were among the hardest hit by the pandemic.
Digital Infrastructure for a Future-Ready Workforce
At the core of the project were two key technology solutions: the new Emerit Learning Management System (LMS) and the Workforce Management Engine (WME). These platforms enable job seekers, workers, employers, government, associations, and educators to access training, certifications, and workforce planning tools aligned with the national Tourism Competency Framework.
The LMS now houses more than:
- 6 redesigned eLearning courses for frontline and supervisory roles
- 240 training tools, including printable modules, assessments, training videos, and instructor resources
- 3 micro-certifications and 4 updated professional certifications for frontline, supervisory, and management roles
- 1 Work-Ready credential designed to recognize skills of individuals new or returning to tourism
Meanwhile, the WME offers free access to a robust library of 26 National Occupational Standards, over 400 competencies. and a variety of tools. Since its launch, it has drawn users from across Canada and even internationally, indicating a growing global interest in Canadian tourism training standards.
Training Designed for Today’s Realities
Tourism HR Canada continued to use a learner-first approach to course design, prioritizing flexibility, accessibility, and inclusion. Training content and tools were built with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 AA) in mind, and representation in imagery and scenarios was carefully considered to reflect the diversity of Canada’s workforce.
The use of micro-learning formats allows for shorter, stackable modules that better accommodate learners with time, mobility, or technology constraints, such as parents, newcomers, or those in rural communities. Courses are available in both English and French, and participants have praised the programs for their clarity, relevance, and ease of use.
“I have come out a different person, ready to work effectively and efficiently,” shared one Workplace Essentials graduate. “This course has really added value to me.”
Meaningful Impact and Measurable Results
Despite not having formal “participant” targets, the project delivered impressive results:
- 210 individuals trained through the new LMS in under 10 months
- 108 individuals certified in frontline and management roles
- 19 new competencies added to the Tourism Competency Framework
In addition, partnerships were formed or strengthened with over two dozen stakeholder organizations, including colleges, Indigenous institutions, provincial tourism councils, and tourism bodies like the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Outdoor Council of Canada.
Expanding Reach Through Content Sharing and Strategic Partnerships
One of the most innovative elements of the Workforce Recovery project was Tourism HR Canada’s adoption of Content Controller, a powerful content distribution platform developed by Rustici Software. This solution enables the organization to securely share its eLearning courses with partner organizations—allowing them to deliver Emerit training on their own Learning Management Systems (LMS) while maintaining central control over intellectual property, updates, and user data.
This approach significantly broadened the reach of the Emerit training programs and opened new doors for collaboration across provinces, territories, and even international borders.
During the project, Tourism HR Canada signed seven hosting agreements, including with:
- Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association
- Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en tourisme (Quebec)
- go2HR (British Columbia)
- Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council
- Tourism Saskatchewan
- Velsoft, in partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organization
- Velsoft, in partnership with the Bermuda Tourism Authority
These partnerships made it possible to extend access to frontline training without duplicating development efforts.
In addition to hosting partners, Tourism HR Canada reactivated six retail partners and nine certification administrators, ensuring Emerit products were supported across every province and territory.
By using this distributed training model, the project not only ensured sustainability but also demonstrated how thoughtful technology integration can dramatically scale impact—reaching more learners, in more locations, with fewer barriers.
Sustainability and What’s Next
A key feature of the project’s success was its future-oriented design. Tourism HR Canada has created a business development and sustainability model for its platforms, ensuring that tools like the WME and LMS will continue to evolve in step with labour market needs.
The groundwork laid by this project now enables Tourism HR Canada to pursue deeper engagement with underrepresented communities, develop more advanced analytics tools, and expand certification and training programs for additional occupations and skills.
As the tourism sector continues its transformation, the innovations driven by this project stand as a national model for sectoral workforce development. They demonstrate how technology, collaboration, and inclusive design can come together to strengthen resilience and create real opportunities for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Explore to learn more:
Emerit Tourism Training and Certification
Workforce Management Engine