TIAO’s Tourism Workforce Sustainability Program has officially wrapped.
TIAO’s Tourism Workforce Sustainability Program aimed to expand and diversify Ontario’s tourism workforce while helping employers retain employees for the long-term sustainability of their businesses and the industry. We are proud of how this innovative program supported our industry in expanding and retaining our tourism workforce, while improving the narrative and public perceptions of careers in hospitality and tourism. With one year of funding from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s Skills Development Fund, we engaged the industry in new ways of approaching both the short- and long-term sustainability of the workforce. We encourage you to continue this process.
Results
“This funding has been amazing for our youth employees. They work so hard and give so much to Big Ben Ski Centre that this top up has made them feel appreciated in a way we could not afford without TIAO's help(…) I wish I could share all of the stories or show you their faces when they learned that they would be paid what they absolutely deserve.”
Sylvia Mcdonald
Operations Manager, Big Ben Ski Centre
“Three out of the four employees who received the wage increase will be working with us again this summer, and I’m certain that being paid a living wage was a part of their decision. This increased retention has reduced the time and energy that we would have spent on finding, hiring, and training new employees, which is a huge expense for us.”
Greg Okimi
Management, Madawaska Kanu Centre
“The Living Wage Top Up Program through TIAO has been a very important and effective tool for us as a small tourism business looking to retain and pay staff a living wage. The Career Path mapping is also a great part of the program to help identify and present long term opportunities in our organization and industry.”
Jason Rizzuti
Managing Partner, Go Tours
Changing The Narrative About Careers in Tourism
The TWSP program;
- Has developed over 40 resources that employers can use to support their business and team member
- Showed the value to employers and employees benefited from the attraction and retention of paying the Ontario Living Wage -it is important for retention of employees for them to be able to live where they work.
- Showcased long term careers, to allow for retention of employees, and allow the sustainability of the tourism industry
- The WorkDoesntSuck campaign targeted at high school students reached over 1000 secondary schools shared in guidance counselor offices and to their career planning courses.
TWSP Info Sessions
TIAO hosted four Regional Information sessions to introduce you to the Tourism Workforce Sustainability Program.
This webinar was for RTOs and DMOs in the Greater Toronto Area, Brampton, Mississauga, and Region 6* as well as partner organizations, and all tourism employers who are invested in improving our industry's reputation and becoming the industry of choice for youth, New Canadians, those seeking second careers.
Info Session #1: Southwest Ontario
New From TIAO:
TOURISM MENTOR MATCH
Cultivate meaningful connections. Thrive in your career.
This is your unique opportunity to connect with mentors that reflect your lifestyle, culture and potential career choices to help one thrive in our industry for where they are in life. Click here to learn more about TIAO's Tourism Mentor Match program.
