New workshop dates posted

Eight workshops added to STEC's training and events calendar:

• January 3 to 5, Saskatoon: Facilitator Skills Development (open to the public).
• January 7 – 10, Saskatoon: Service Best (closed workshop for school).
• January 9 to 11, Saskatoon: Facilitators Skills Development (open to the public).
• January 14 – 15, Saskatoon: Marketing 101 (closed workshop for school).
• January 23, Southeast Regional College (Carry The Kettle First Nation): Service Best (closed workshop for employer).
• January 23, La Ronge: Showing We Care, Mamawetin Churchill River HR (closed workshop for employer).
• January 24, Meadow Lake: Service Best, North West Regional College (closed workshop for employer).
• March 13, La Ronge: Showing We Care, Mamawetin Churchill River HR (closed workshop for employer).

Upcoming Service Best workshops

We've got Service Best and related workshops now scheduled into March. There's likely one taking place near you.

Service Best workshop gives you the skills and confidence to deliver superior customer service. Learn useful tools that create memorable customer experiences, identify and respond to customer needs, and turn dissatisfied customers into loyal fans. All workshops are open to the public, except where noted.

November - December, 2012

• November 19 - 20, Selling is Service, Saskatoon (closed workshop for employer)
• November 20,Showing We Care, La Ronge (closed workshop for employer)
• November 20, Service Best, Saskatoon
• November 21, Service Best, Meadow Lake
• November 22,  Service Best, Saskatoon-Whitecap (closed workshop for employer)
• November 26 - 27, Workplace Etiquette, Saskatoon (closed workshop for employer)
• November 27, Service Best, Prince Albert
• November 28, Service Best, La Ronge
• December 4, Service Best, Melville
• December 5, Service Best, Yorkton
• December 12 - 13, Serve It Right Saskatchewan, Saskatoon (closed workshop for employer)
• December 17 - 18, Volunteer Tourism Ambassador, Saskatoon (closed workshop for employer)

 

January - March, 2013

• January 15, Service Best, Regina
• January 15, Service Best, Humboldt
• January 22, Service Best, Estevan
• January 22,  Service Best, Saskatoon
• February 5, Service Best, Weyburn 
• February 5, Service Best, Swift Current
• February 12, Service Best, Moose Jaw
• February 12, Service Best, Nipawin
• February 19, Service Best, Kindersley
• February 19, Service Best, Lloydminster
• February 26, Service Best, Rosetown
• March 5, Service Best, Meadow Lake
• March 5, Service Best, North Battleford
• March 5, Service Best, Regina
• March 12, Service Best, Saskatoon
• March 12, Service Best, Prince Albert
• March 19, Service Best, La Ronge
• March 19, Service Best, Melville
• March 26, Service Best, Yorkton
  

Saskatoon RTW luncheons and dinners now open

 Our Ready to Work - Intro to Culinary Arts Saskatoon luncheons and dinners are now taking reservations at our demonstration restaurant.

As with earlier RTW projects in Regina and Saskatoon, students demonstrate their new skills as kitchen staff or food and beverage servers to potential employers.


We have a variety of dates in Saskatoon, with luncheons running from November 14 to 23 and dinners from November 27 to December 7. The dates make it convenient, but you do need to make a reservation.

Luncheons:

Dates: November 14 to 16 and November 20 to 23, 2012.
Time: 12:00 pm (by reservation only)
Place: St. John's Anglican Church, 816 Spadina Crescent East
RSVP: Lynne Kennedy, STEC Manager of Special Projects, (306) 933-7187
or Cindy Wright, Administrative Assistant RTW, (306) 933-5928.
Toll-free: 1-800-331-1529

Dinners:

Date: November 27 to 30 and December 4 to 7, 2012
Time: 5:30 p.m. (by reservation only)
Place: Saskatoon Trades and Skills, 450 Avenue W North
RSVP: Lynne Kennedy, STEC Manager of Special Projects, (306) 933-7187
or Cindy Wright, Administrative Assistant RTW, (306) 933-5928.
Toll-free: 1-800-331-1529

OPENING DOORS TO TOURISM & HOSPITATLITY

Intro to Culinary Arts - Ready to Work is a national career awareness, skills development, and transition to employment program that assists individuals in finding long-term, rewarding careers. Participants and staff would be honoured to serve you!

In partnership with STC Urban Services, Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre, Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, Tourism Saskatchewan, STEC, and funded in part by the Government of Canada.

Let's do lunch, Regina

Our Ready to Work - Intro to Culinary Arts Students are hosting a VIP luncheon in Regina, and you're the VIP.

Students are learning valuable skills as kitchen staff or food and beverage servers. Now, they want show employers what they can do.

It's not every day that you can have prospective employees give you a hands-on demonstration of their skills. They've created a wonderful restaurant experience.

If you employ staff in food preparation or service, come out and join us for lunch. It's on us - no charge. We think you'll be impressed enough to want to hire these students. There's a variety of dates open, to make it convenient for you, but you do need to make a reservation.

If you're in Saskatoon, don't despair. Our Saskatoon RTW students will be opening their demonstration restaurant in a few weeks, so stay tuned for details.

Meanwhile, here's the scoop for the Regina luncheons.

Dates: October 24, 26, and 31; and November 2, 6, 7, 9, 16, and 21.

Time: 12:00 pm (by reservation only)

Place: Regina Food Bank, 445 Winnipeg Street

RSVP: by  November 16, 2012 to Lynne Kennedy, STEC Manager of Special Projects,        1-800-331-1529

OPENING DOORS TO TOURISM & HOSPITATLITY

Intro to Culinary Arts - Ready to Work is a national career awareness, skills development, and transition to employment program that assists individuals in finding long-term, rewarding careers.  Participants and staff would be honoured to serve you!

In partnership with Regina Trades and Skills Centre, Regina and District Food Bank,  Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council,  Tourism Saskatchewan and STEC

You think you're having a bad day now!

Sometimes, little decisions, made in haste to get you through a tiring day with minimum hassle, can have life altering consequences. Here's a good example. Six years ago, a visitor from Fargo, North Dakota, hunting in Saskatchewan stopped for lunch at a restaurant. What could have been a pleasant meal turned instead into life-and-death struggle for the hunter and a five-year nightmare for the former owners of the restaurant and the waitress who served the hunting party.

What would you do in this situation? Would you take the time to get your facts straight before answering a customer's question, or would you make your best guess and leave it at that? How would you handle the situation if the restaurant is crowded, full of noisy families with screaming babies demanding your attention, and you're tired? Would you really make the effort? Would it occur to you how badly things can go if you make the wrong judgement?

Three Ready To Work projects underway this fall

We have three Ready To Work projects starting this fall:

• Regina (started September 4)
• Lloydminster (started September 11)
• Saskatoon (starting September 24)

First of all, welcome to the 60 or so (we don't yet have a final count for Saskatoon) Ready
to Work participants! We're glad to have you in our STEC "family", and we hope that you'll keep in touch as you embark on your new careers. We always love to know how you're doing.

To the employers out there, if you're in a position to hire new workers, you'll be happy to know that this fall's Ready To Work participants will be perfect candidates that will be ready for employment in time for your busy Christmas holiday season.

Our Ready To Work participants learn the skills that employers look for in entry level recruits, making them ideal candidates for work in tourism, hospitality and remote camp occupations. The RTW program delivers practical classroom instruction; hands-on skills training; safety training, including WHMIS, first aid / CPR, SIRS and Food Safe; and on-the-job mentoring.

Our Ready To Work coordinator has a Facebook account that lets RTW participants keep in touch with one another and to connect with STEC. This is the easiest and quickest way to locate and communicate with many RTW graduates. Employers can use our Facebook profile to find candidates for entry level positions. Just "friend" Ready To Work STEC and post a status update with a link to your job posting.

Parliamentary Secretary announces youth funding in Saskatoon

This morning, Dr. Kellie Leitch, Parliamentary Secretary to Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley, was in our Saskatoon offices to announce that the federal government was launching Calls for Proposals to deliver $50 million in funding for the Youth Employment Strategy.

STEC Manager of HR Development Darcy Acton,
Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Kellie Leitch, and
Tourism Saskatchewan Industry Development
Manager Ian McGilp pose for a photo following
Wednesday's announcement in Saskatoon.
(Photo: Service Canada)

We were happy to be part of today's announcement. STEC has been helping our province’s tourism and hospitality employers recruit, train and retain a professional, skilled workforce for more than 20 years.

For most of that time, Ready To Work – Tourism Careers has been an important component of our service delivery.

Since 1994, more than 40 communities and three thousand youth have participated in Ready to Work in Saskatchewan.

Graduates have found long-term rewarding careers, returned to school, and moved from front-line to supervisory positions.

In fact, of the 300 participants who went through the program last year, 80 per cent are still employed.

We're able to get those remarkable results because of the support we receive from federal programs such as those announced today, as well at the valuable support we receive from our provincial and community partners.

That support makes it possible for people from under-represented groups to make the transition from unemployment or under-employment to the workforce. In addition to tourism, a valuable contributor to our provincial economy, participants also find work in mining and other significant economic sectors.

We currently have four RTW projects running in Saskatchewan: Saskatoon, Lloydminster, Regina, and La Ronge.

Register early for Tourism and Hospitality Forum

The CTHRC sends the following reminder that early bird registration for the Tourism and Hospitality Forum ends tomorrow:

Tourism and Hospitality HR Forum 2012

FINAL DAY TO SAVE $100!

Register Now! Register by August 17th, 2012 and SAVE $100.00

October 2-4, 2012
Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel

The HR Forum has become a “must go” event for anyone involved in managing and developing people for the tourism sector - executives, managers, corporate trainers, educators and association representatives. With a focus on critical issues related to recruitment, retention, and staff development in these challenging times, this event provides an opportunity you won’t want to miss!

See full program

Summer Youth Internship winds down another successful year

The Saskatoon Industry-Education Council (SIEC) Summer Youth Internship Program, running July 9 to August 17, held its annual Celebration Luncheon at Marion Graham Collegiate in Saskatoon yesterday (August 15).
Congratulations to the 68 students and 50 businesses that participated in this year's program. Special thanks to Chili's Saskatoon and to The Rook and Raven for the three culinary interns they hired for the summer.

Traditionally, most interns are hired in the construction trades, but with cooks and other food and beverage staff increasingly in short supply, we're sure to see more restaurants participating by next year.

There's no better way to start preparing your future employees than by hiring them as interns while they're still exploring career options. And there's no better way to hire interns than by working with our friends and partners at SIEC, because of the preparation, support and workplace mentoring that is available to them.

The SEIC recruits Grade 11 and 12 students from the three school divisions in the greater Saskatoon area. STEC recruits food service employers to participate in the program.

SIEC Summer Youth Internships get cooking

The Saskatoon Industry-Education Council's Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP) is underway. For the past three years, the program has included cook internships.

The paid internships run from July 9 to August 17. Now in its eighth year, the program attracts 54 companies mentoring more than 80 youth. These companies will have paid more than $900,000 in wages into this program since the start. At least 25 youth participants will also gain Apprenticeship credits which can be used towards graduation from high school, while other interns will also complete the Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship certificate. The highlight of the program is the Summer Youth Internship Celebration luncheon on August 15.

Historically, construction trades take most students, but for the past three years there has been growing interest to train future cooks as the hospitality industry faces a shortage of skilled labour.

Students get hands-on experience, allowing them to investigate career options. They get relevant experience, evaluations, specialized training, and job coaching. Employers can see how the students fit into their businesses, often keeping the students on the payroll after their internships end.

The SEIC recruits Grade 11 and 12 students from the three school divisions in the greater Saskatoon area. STEC recruits food service employers to participate in the program.

In fact, if you own or operate a restaurant or other business that prepares and serves food, perhaps you'd like hire an intern next summer. You'd be expected to pay the student at least minimum wage, providing valuable summer employment for your intern, but unlike hiring inexperienced staff off the street or through classified advertising, you and your intern receive SYIP support that includes Food Safe and other safety training and a job coach who helps the student integrate into your workplace.

The kitchen and operations manager at one popular Saskatoon restaurant and lounge, who hired his first intern last summer, said that "the program sounded like a really good opportunity for the student and for us."

Hiring high school students is a good place to start, he said, because they haven't developed any habits that might make them unsuitable for a particular employer. Last year's intern is still working at the restaurant.

How to keep employees during a labour shortage

Earlier in June, the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council released its labour supply and demand study titled, The Future of Canada’s Tourism Sector. I posed a question on the STEC Facebook Page at the time. (If you're game for a little bit of fun, go visit our Facebook page before reading any further and try out the little quiz I posted there on June 6. In it, I've asked you to take a guess at rating the top non-wage benefits that help employee retention.)

This study quantifies the implications of long-term demographic and economic trends on labour supply and demand in Canada’s tourism sector, and outlines potential labour shortages over the next 20 years by industry, by province, and by occupation.

The CTHRC study warns of a looming 20-year labour shortage. Saskatchewan is among five provinces to be especially hard-hit, with a projected shortage equal to 1,227 full time jobs within a year. By 2030, that shortfall could rise to 7,396 unless businesses begin to act now.

In shortest supply: chefs, other kitchen workers, entry-level counter staff and housekeeping room attendants.

The report outlines strategies for tourism employers to improve their labour supply, including non-wage benefits that are most attractive to Canadian workers and that are most likely to help employers retain their workforce.

While preparing the report, the CTHRC surveyed 1,000 workers - employed or looking for employment - and asked them what non-wage goodies would either keep them with their current employers or entice them to work with one employer rather than another. The resulting 23 benefits - especially the top 10 - might surprise you. There's a different top 10 depending on whether or not you make over $100,000 a year, whether or not you already have a job, and how old you are.

For Canadians who are currently employed, here are the most important non-wage benefits keeping them with their current employer:

1. vacation time of more than two weeks.
2. health and dental plans.
3. short- and long-term disability benefits.
4. employee life insurance.
5. registered pension plan.
6. flex time/flexible hours.
7. formal professional development.
8. informal professional development.

In other words, if you're looking to retain staff, you should carefully consider providing these highly rated benefits to employees if you are not already.

In the middle are the non-wage benefits that might or might not matter to employees. These vary greatly in importance, depending on employees' current income and age! You'll need to do your homework and have a good understanding of your employees as individuals before you make decisions about these benefits:

• Group RRSP.
• Employee discounts/free services.
• Sales bonuses and/or commissions.
• Company car/mileage allowance.
• Profit-sharing plan.
• Maternity/parental leave.

At the very bottom of the list, of least interest to employees:

• cell phone/smart phone.
• fitness club membership.
• telecommuting/home-based work.
• on-site fitness centre.
• association memberships
• job sharing.
• tickets to events.
• bus or subway passes.

If you're currently putting most of your effort into those benefits at the bottom of the list, you likely aren't having much of an effect on employee turnover. That's not a good thing in the face of a labour shortage. Of course, if you're not doing anything on any of these lists, that's even worse!

I've been looking around at various employee recognition/retention programs that are offered to employers. Surprisingly, most "turnkey" programs focus on benefits at the bottom of the scale - the freebies, discounts, "perqs" and other stuff that employees don't particularly want or care about and that doesn't make any difference in helping employers retain their staff. These programs all but neglect the most important non-wage benefits near the top of the list.

A lot of employers subscribe to group benefit plans separately from other retention programs, and that's something that every employer should consider, no matter how big or small. But there's still a large gap in non-wage benefits that employers need for workforce retention. Professional development, whether formal or informal, is the biggest unfulfilled demand in most small to medium businesses, and it's one area where a little investment can pay out big results. It sounds complicated, but it doesn't have to be. It's basically a matter of making sure that employees are given the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to do their jobs and serve their customers well. It might mean helping employees earn professional certification as front line workers, supervisors or managers. It could involve encouraging employees to apprentice toward journeyperson in a tourism or other trade. It could be as simple as enrolling in half-day or day-long workshops in customer service, responsible liquor service, or sales techniques. Just as important as the training or development is the follow-through. Don't give your employees the tools to do their jobs better and give customers more satisfaction and then expect everyone to keep doing things the way they were always done.

As we get closer to a serious labour crunch, employers are going to have to take a much closer look at their retention practices. Hanging out a "help wanted" sign just won't help any more.

Sweet deal for VIC managers

Do you work in one of the 112 Visitor Information Centres located in towns and cities throughout Saskatchewan? Or, maybe you know someone who does.

If so, we'd like to remind VIC managers that they can download copies of emerit National Occupational Standards for Tourism Visitor Information Counsellor and Tourism Visitor Information Supervisor.

The standards are ideal for training and orientation. Developed by the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) with input from employers and workers, emerit standards make it easier for you to prepare your staff and volunteers for their roles in your operation. Trained staff help boost visitor satisfaction, generate more business in your community, and inspire word-of-mouth referrals.

If you don’t already have the current emerit National Occupation Standards, download your free copy today (or order a printed copy for your office for $45). In addition to Tourism Visitor Information Counsellor and Tourism Visitor Information Supervisor, you might also be interested in Tour Guide and Heritage Interpreter.

You can download the standards from the emerit website. Look for the link on the right-hand side of the page for the free download.

For Tourism Visitor Information Counsellor, for example, you'll get a 44-page PDF booklet that provides a general job description and outlines the key attitudes, knowledge and skills a person needs to do the job. It also covers subjects such as tourism awareness, the role of the tourism/visitor information counsellor, communications skills, interacting with partner agencies, office routines, safety procedures, assisting people with special needs, product and service knowledge, selling, and handling payments.

Free USB key for first 20 VICs to request one!

If you are one of the first 20 Visitor Information Centres to ask for one, we will send you a free STEC 1GB USB flash drive. Each two-tone, blue and metallic, folding USB flash drive is emblazoned with the STEC logo and comes already pre-loaded with the emerit National Occupational Standard for Tourism Visitor Information Counsellor. We only have 20, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. We’re sure you won’t want to miss out! If you work at a Visitor Information Centre, simply post a comment below this blog post. Be sure to include the name and address of your Visitor Information Centre, so we'll know where to send your flash drive, as well as a link to your website.

Millennials in the workplace

Join STEC for a Lunch and Learn Seminar, presented by Darcy Acton, STEC's Manager of Industry Human Resources Development

• Tuesday, June 5
• 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Saskatoon, SK

Hiring: The Next Generation

From Baby Boomer to Gen X, employers have had to learn how to hire and motivate the best workers.

Now, the Next Generation, Millennial Generation or Generation Y, is joining the workforce.

This technologically savvy, socially active generation strives for work-life balance, with an optimistic view of the future.

Discover what it takes to woo and wow Millennials. Learn practical tips for hiring and inspiring a young, involved workforce.

Only $35/person

For more information or to register by phone: (306) 933-7186 or 1-800-331-1529.
Email stec.training@sasktourism.com
Registration deadline: Friday, June 1, 2012.

Why you keep showing up for work (hint: it's not because of the money)

Have you noticed that whenever you ask someone, "How are you doing?" the answer is always "Fine", or some variation of that? It's one of those automatic responses we all give, and all expect. You don't really give it that much thought. Workplace gurus and entrepreneurial consultants advise that the best answer is an enthusiastic "Fantastic!!" But, really, it's still the same automatic response. No one actually says how they're really doing (try it some time, just to see what happens).

If you ask people what they think motivates others to work, more often than not their response is automatic, too. They'll say, "money." Maybe they say that because it's what they've always heard, or maybe because they think it's what they're supposed to say. (Or, maybe they're hoping that saying so in front of the boss will land them a nice raise!) It's just one of those automatic responses. But, when pressed to think about it, most people know that money is a poor motivator.

Last month, the Canadian HR Reporter blog reported on research by PsychTests AIM Inc. (company news release), about what motivates people to do their best at work.

Here are the top five things that keep people motivated at work:

1. Being customer focused.
2. Having a challenging work environment in which you can achieve something meaningful.
3. Being able to inspire others.
4. Working in a company or field that provides identity and purpose.
5. Having fun, working in a position or corporate culture that is entertaining.

Number one on that list above is what strikes me as interesting, not because people think customer focus is important, but that it's more important than all the other motivators. That really shouldn't come as a surprise. Helping someone else achieve their goal is at the heart of a lot of human motivation. When you look at it that way, you see that value in all five of the motivators above: working toward a common purpose makes people feel like they are achieving something meaningful.

That doesn't mean money isn't important. It may not motivate people to do better, but poor compensation certainly motivates people to leave a job.

Think about tourism careers during Saskatchewan Tourism Week

Shearwater Tours,
Saskatoon

During an economic boom like the one Saskatchewan's experiencing, a lot of employers have trouble finding qualified workers. But right now, all across Canada, tourism employers are feeling the pinch of a national labour shortage. So, combine our boom with with a national labour shortage of tourism workers, right at the start of the busy summer tourism season, and you can see that tourism businesses in our province are going to have a really tough time finding workers.

Already, we're projecting a shortfall of about 1,600 people to fill tourism jobs this year. That demand for workers is only going to get worse, because travel and visitor spending is increasing faster than other consumer purchases, meaning even more tourism work for fewer tourism workers. For workers, this is a great time to be in tourism, because you can basically write your own ticket to a job.

That doesn't mean the work is easy - far from it, because international competition for travellers and customer expectations for service have never been higher - but there is no better time to find rewarding work and careers in tourism, especially in Saskatchewan. Take a gander over at our sister Saskatchewan Tourism Saskatchewan Facebook page or the Tourism Saskatchewan website to see everything that our province has for visitors. Our tourism businesses are among the best you'll find anywhere (they have to be, because people are able and willing to travel anywhere to get the experiences they want).

So, while things are looking pretty rosy for workers, businesses have to offer not only the kinds of experiences that can attract ever-more-discerning customers, but also nurture the kinds of workplaces that attract and keep the best employees. That's a tough challenge for everyone, and no business is in a position to be able to meet that challenge alone. We all have to pull together to develop a qualified and motivated tourism workforce, a workforce that's well trained and well rewarded for the contribution that everyone makes to our economy.

Keeping track of employee training needs

How do you know what training your employees need? How do you know if their training is up to date?

We'd like you to take a moment to give us your feedback about a simple, quick tool that we hope will make it easier for you plan and track your employee training. We're not asking you plan anyone's training, or asking you for any personal information. This is just a short survey to help us develop the planning tool.

The survey is designed for business owners, supervisors and managers. Please take a moment to visit this link and take the survey. Your feedback is important. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2JX8T5N

Nominate someone you know as "Tourism Ambassador"

I bet you know someone who makes a tremendous contribution toward tourism in Saskatchewan. Maybe it's someone who makes every customer feel like a million bucks. It could be a coworker who inspires professionalism among everyone in the workplace. Perhaps you know of an instructor who has made an outstanding contribution to tourism or hospitality education. We want to hear your suggestions for this year's "Tourism Ambassador" awards at the 19th Annual Saskatchewan Tourism Professional Recognition Dinners, June 11 in Saskatoon and June 13 in Regina. Nominations are accepted until Friday, May 11. Download the nomination form (PDF).

Nominations are open in each of the five industries that make up the tourism sector:

• Accommodations,
• Food & Beverage Services,
• Recreation and Entertainment,
• Transportation, and
• Travel Services, as well as
• Educator of the Year.

Nominees for an Ambassador Award must meet the following criteria:

• be Certified in a tourism occupation,
• be active in tourism,
• embody the values of Certification, and
• exhibit an ongoing commitment to professionalism in tourism.

Download the nomination form (PDF).

If you have any questions, please contact:

Lesley Welter
Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council
Suite 102, 202 Fourth Avenue North
Saskatoon SK  S7K 0K1
Phone:  (306) 933-7188  Fax: (306) 933-6250
Toll Free:  1-800-331-1529
Email:  lesley.welter@sasktoruism.com

Awards may not be given for all industries in every year. Last year's awards were presented for Accommodations, Recreation and Entertainment, Food and Beverage, and Educator of the Year.

2013 Employer of Choice applications now open

Hurray, hurray!
First of May!
Employer of Choice
opens today!

(Ok, so the rhythm is off a bit, but the rhyme works.)

Visit www.steceoc.com and register to qualify as a Saskatchewan Tourism Employer of Choice for 2013. Applications are now open until November 30. But don't procrastinate. The application will take a bit of time, so start now to make sure you can help celebrate the 2013 Employers of Choice next spring.

See the 2012 Employers of Choice, and find out more about becoming an Employer of Choice, by visiting the STEC.com website.

2012 Employers of Choice awarded at SHHA conference today

Congratulations to our 2012 Employers of Choice. Becoming an Employer of Choice lets a business become recognized for its outstanding management practices. It's not so much the award (a nice plaque at a spring conference and a certificate to display prominently on your wall, awarded at our Professional Recognition Dinners), but the recognition of the hard work and dedication toward creating the kind of workplace where employees feel valued and supported in their work, where managers know that they have the support they need to do their jobs well, and where customers know that they'll always receive the kind of exceptional service that makes them feel welcome and keep coming back.

In other words, you start by creating a great workplace. Getting the Employer of Choice designation is the independent recognition that you have the kind of business that attracts the best employees and keeps them for the long haul.

This year, we're recognizing nine organizations as Employers of Choice. The fact is, there are many more employers in Saskatchewan that would qualify, if they would sign up and work through the application. That takes a bit of work, what with the questionnaires and surveys and all. We know that. But that work helps your business validate the good practices that you already have, and the detailed audit report prepared by our in-house human resource professionals helps you identify areas that can make you even stronger. Plus, we're there to help you with the tools and resources to engage in human resource "best practices" in every way. With potential shortage of up to 1,300 skilled tourism workers by the end of this year, and 6,500 within the next 13 years, that's a good reason to be recognized as the kind of employer that people want to work for. It's just one more "plus" that helps you attract good workers when everyone else is hanging out their "help wanted" signs.

So, if you haven't registered at the STEC Employer of Choice online portal, why not take a moment to sign up and get started. Registrations open May 1 of each year, and close November 30. (You can sign up to register for the site today - you just won't be able to start work on the EOC process until May 1). That gives you seven months to complete the employer questionnaire and employee surveys. Sign up early, because you should plan on taking several weeks, not all at once, but a little at a time over that seven months, to work through it all.

A little sunshine on an April morning

Following up on a February Service Best workshop at South East Regional College, facilitated by Tony Kayter, I noticed this comment from participant Gayleen Gurr, of Langbank, Saskatchewan: "...very worthwhile - should be mandatory in schools."

Thanks, Gayleen, for taking the time at the end of the workshop to provide some wonderful feedback and comments (and for providing permission to share them with our readers).

Several schools in Saskatchewan offer our Service Best in High Schools workshop. When you consider that most young people get their first jobs in tourism or hospitality businesses, the training effectively prepares them for summer employment, part-time work as students, and ongoing work in jobs where good customer service counts, including retail. (So, tell me of any job that doesn't require some kind of customer service, whether that's in a retail or "selling" business or in an office that requires you to interact effectively with colleagues!) Diefenbaker Destination Developments recently organized our Service Best Teacher In-Service workshop to certify high school teachers to provide Service Best in schools throughout the Lake Diefenbaker Tourism Destination Area. We even had one teacher travel down from Blaine Lake to take the training so that she could deliver Service Best in her high school.

Would we like to see more schools deliver Service Best? You bet! Consider how most of us learn about how to behave on the job. We learn mainly from experience, by watching how others are treated. If you can remember how you were treated as a high school (or younger) student when you went into local businesses, then you know that our youth don't often experience exemplary customer service. So, how do you learn to provide good customer service if you never experience it? That's why we've got Service Best in High Schools.

Ready To Work Menu, March 20 - April 11, 2012

SK 25 Menu

Remember: to book your reservation, contact Lynne Kennedy, at 306-933-7187 or lynne.kennedy@sasktourism.com.

Week 1- Lunches – noon service/ St. Johns Anglican Church

Monday March 19 - No Service

Tuesday March 20

• Soup/ Sandwich Buffet
• Veggie Tray and Dip
• Soups:
• Cream of Mushroom
• Chicken Noodle
• Sandwiches:
• Ham & Swiss Croissant or Kaiser
• Open Faced Cream Cheese and Cucumber on Bagel
• Egg Salad Wrap
• Desserts
• Fruit or Butter Tarts

Wednesday March 21

• A La Carte Service:
• Iceberg Wedge Salad
• Choice of: Spinach Quiche OR Quiche Lorraine with Brown Sugar Carrots
• Fruit Salad and Local Grain Granola

Have lunch or dinner on us!

SK25 Ready To Work - Lunch & Dinner

March 20, 2012 at 12:00 PM - April 11, 2012 at 7:00 PM

Saskatoon

Have lunch - or dinner - on us!

Our latest Ready To Work (RTW) recruits are are anxious to show off their talents, and what better way to do that than to make you a delicious lunch or dinner.

Please join us on from March 20 to April 11, as participants put their skills on display in our authentic restaurant-style training facility. Attendance is by reservation only.

We will be at St. John's Anglican for lunch service, March 20, 21, 22 and 23, and at the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre at Mt Royal Collegiate for evening service, March 27, 28, 29 April 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11.

To make your lunch or dinner reservation, or for any other questions you may have about recruitment of Ready to Work participants, please contact Manager of Special Projects Lynne Kennedy, Ready to Work Coordinator, at 306-933-7187 or lynne.kennedy@sasktourism.com.

If you are looking for entry level staff, you will not find a better opportunity to meet qualified applicants and get a first look at STEC's newest Ready to Work graduates.

Responsible Service of Alcohol

No one likes to put a damper on a good time, but people still need to understand the kinds of liability they face when they serve alcohol, especially in a commercial or organized setting. You need effective strategies that let people enjoy themselves, help you serve responsibly and let you identify guests who drink too much. That's where responsible-service-of-alcohol programs come in.

The program that STEC uses, Serve it Right Saskatchewan (SIRS), uses three broad "learning cycles", covered in six modules.

Rising Tide: Impaired Driving Awareness Week 2012

The "rising tide" of liability against commercial liquor establishments and servers
This week is Impaired Driving Awareness Week in Saskatchewan. Drinking and driving is the leading cause of fatal crashes in our province.

About 45.1 per cent of fatal crashes in the province are alcohol-related, above the Canadian average of 37.9 per cent. By some estimates, impaired driving costs Canadians more than $225.5 billion a year.

Whether we like it or not, tourism industry operators have a stake in solving this problem.

Watch for us in the summer edition of Prairies North Magazine

Diane Cohoon, STEC's Manager of Training, and I just finished an hour-long conversation with Prairies North Editor Lionel Hughes. Lionel is working on a special summer edition of the magazine that will focus on education.

We don't want to spill the beans on all that we discussed - you'll have to pick up a copy of Prairies North and read story when it comes out - but we can say that it was a wide-ranging conversation that covered the gamut of programs, training and services that help tourism employers in the province.

We hope you'll pick up and copy and see innovative tourism training around the province, in places like Lipton and Reindeer Lake, and what communities everywhere are doing to improve customer service and workers' skills.

Let's hear it for our friends at Diefenbaker Destination Developments: Service Best steal of a deal

For a limited time, you can sign up for STEC's award-winning customer service workshop, Service Best, for just $40. We'll even buy you lunch.

Diefenbaker Destination Developments Inc. is sponsoring this special deal on our February workshops held in the Lake Diefenbaker region, allowing us to reduce the price to $40 per participant, plus GST.

Any business or organization located in the Mid Sask Enterprise Region service area is eligible to receive the sponsored rate. This is part of Diefenbaker Destination Developments’ initiative to achieve Service Best delivery to 60% of employees in 60% of businesses in the Lake Diefenbaker region. But act quickly. This special rate is available only for the workshops listed below, and participants must register no later than five days before the workshop date.

Workshops available:

• Whitecap, February 22.
• Outlook, February 28.
• Davidson, February 29.
• Elbow, TBA (March).
• Central Butte, TBA (March).

You can register on-line, or by calling Christian at (306) 361-5845 or Patty 1-800-331-1529. Registration in advance lets us bring enough lunch and materials for everyone attending.

Mid Sask Enterprise Region, Diefenbaker Destination Developments Inc, Whitecap Dakota First Nation, and the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council, a division of Tourism Saskatchewan, are working to designate the region as a Service Best Region, with 60 per cent of the businesses and 60 per cent of the staff in those businesses participating in STEC's Service Best program. The region wants to create a "culture of service excellence" that draws more visitors.

Regular prices for Service Best are $109 for Tourism Saskatchewan members and $129 for non-members, so we really appreciate what Diefenbaker Destination Developments is doing to make the workshop more accessible to businesses in the region.

For more information about Service Best, Service Best Management, and Service Best Business recognition, visit www.stec.com.

NOTE: February 10, 2012, updated dates for Elbow and Central Butte workshops.

Plan now for 2012 Professional Recognition Dinners

If you had just put 3,600 hours in on-the-job training, toiled through emerit Tourism Professional Certification, spent countless nights studying for exams and sweated through a multitude of performance evaluations, don't you think you deserve a spectacular graduation party?

We certainly think you deserve it. So, circle these dates on your calendar to help us celebrate our 19th Annual Tourism Professional Recognition Dinners.

• Saskatoon dinner: June 11, Sheraton Cavalier.
• Regina dinner: June 13, Regina Inn.

These dinners recognize the culmination of years' worth of effort that Saskatchewan's tourism workers have dedicated toward building substantial long-term careers. While they don't often get the public attention of, say, high school or university graduation ceremonies, these dinners represent a significant achievement in the lives of the young people - and sometimes not-so-young people - who have completed their training. Maybe you know someone, such as a friend or family member, who has made Journeyperson or who has completed their Tourism Professional Certification. Make sure you congratulate them for their achievement. There are more than 4,000 such people in Saskatchewan currently.

The two annual dinners also recognize the contributions of the people and businesses that provide training, facilities and other support, as well as the people and businesses that show outstanding professionalism in Saskatchewan's tourism sector. It's one heck of a night that's not soon forgotten by those who are there.


Recognition categories

Certification Honourees

• Certified tourism industry professionals recognize the value of lifelong learning and personal development. Many tourism professionals have attained certification in two or more occupations.

Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors

• The Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors (CITC) advances the professional development of travel counsellors and managers. It promotes the national industry designations of Certified Travel Counsellor (CTC) and Certified Travel Manager (CTM).

Journeypersons

• Tourism apprenticeships are offered through STEC in partnership with the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission. Apprenticeships are available in two trades: Guest Services Representative and Food and Beverage Person. To become journeypersons, apprentices must have 3,600 hours of work experience, receive professional certification in their chosen trade, complete a range of occupational, safety and trade-related training, and successfully pass a series of examinations.

Property Recognition

• Education and training opportunities for frontline staff are key to the success of Saskatchewan’s tourism sector. Employer support and encouragement are critical. The tourism sector acknowledges Saskatchewan businesses for their commitment to staff development through emerit National Occupational Standards and Professional Certification.

Service Best Recognition

• Businesses that attain a high level of achievement – at least 60% staff or management participation in Service Best – are recognized in our Business Recognition program.

Employer of Choice Recognition

• STEC's Employer of Choice program is designed to assist tourism businesses across the province in attracting and retaining staff by providing employers with the tools and resources to engage in best practices, increase staff training, improve organizational human resources practices, and be recognized as a leader in the tourism sector.

Ambassador Awards

• The tourism sector is made up of five industries: accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and travel services. There may not be an award given for all industries in every year. Nominees for an Ambassador Award must meet the following criteria: certified in a tourism occupation, active in tourism, embody the values of certification, and exhibit an ongoing commitment to professionalism in tourism.

More information on our Professional Recognition Dinners.
See last year's program or announcement.

Three new downloadable workbooks available from emerit

If you've earned your national emerit certification in one of Canada's recognized tourism professions, you're likely familiar with the training workbook that you received. While you were able to complete other components of your training online, that workbook was only available in its printed edition - until now.

This week, emerit released the workbook in a new, downloadable format, starting with these three occupations:

• Front Desk Agent.
• Reservation Sales Agent.
• Tourism Visitor Information Counsellor.

The cost for each of the downloadable versions is $70, compared with $85 for the hard-copy workbooks. You can still download and use the national occupational standards for free.

emerit is recognized by tourism employers across Canada. Tourism Certified Professionals meet job standards set by industry. To become certified, individuals must pass exams demonstrating their knowledge and practical skills, and complete a minimum number of hours to gain experience. It takes from six months to two years to become emerit certified, depending on past experience and knowledge.

emerit Professional Certification is available for 27 of the 46 tourism professions with National Occupational Standards.  STEC is the local representative of the emerit training brand, offered through the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council.  Certification obtained in Saskatchewan is recognized nationally across Canada. In 2011, STEC recognized the province's 2000th certified professional.

Designations are available for Tourism Certified Professional (TCP), Tourism Certified Supervisor (TCS), and Tourism Certified Manager (TCM).

Meadow Lake readies for Service Best

"Customer service is key to tourism," notes 55 West Enterprise Region Economic Development director Corey Bowers.

That's why he's looking for Meadow Lake and area businesses to sign up for Service Best in March.

There's a real need, Bowers says. There aren't a lot of businesses that have customer service training available to them.

He chose the program offered by STEC because it's "one of the best ones out there," he says.

The entertaining and interactive workshop provides useful tools to help front line staff create memorable customer experiences, identify and respond to customer needs, and turn dissatisfied customers into loyal allies. Service Best is ideal for anyone who deals with customers, including trades, retail and health care. The program content is wide-ranging, not focused exclusively on tourism and hospitality work.

In addition to finding employees in local businesses to fill the workshop, Bowers plans to include volunteers who will be working with the 2012 Saskatchewan Summer Games, being held in Meadow Lake, July 29 to August 4.

Businesses that have 60 per cent or more of their staff or management completing Service Best, receive recognition through STEC's Business Recognition program.

This edition of Service Best workshop is being offered at special group pricing to make it easier for businesses to enrol.

Workshop details:

• Date: March 8, 2012
• Location: Meadow Lake
• Length: 7 hours
• Cost: $79.00 plus GST (Compare with our regular prices: $109 for Tourism Saskatchewan members, $129 for non-members)
• Register by: March 1, 2012

Register online: www.steconlinelearning.com
For questions about Service Best: stec.training@sasktourism.com
Toll Free: 1-800-331-1529

Open to the public. Pre-registration required.

Download the Service Best promotional flyer.

Lake Diefenbaker Service Best workshops

Lake Diefenbaker Tourism Destination Area aims to have 60 per cent of businesses and 60 per cent of staff in those businesses participating in Service Best.

That's why STEC is offering it's award-winning Service Best workshop in communities throughout the region, at special group pricing* that makes it easier than ever for businesses to empower their frontline staff to deliver superior customer service. Service Best is ideal for anyone who deals with customers, in any industry, from tourism to retail to health care.

Upcoming Workshops:

• Elbow, February 15.
• Central Butte, February 21.
• Whitecap, February 22.
• Outlook, February 28.
• Davidson, February 29.

Enrolment:
Visit steconlinelearning.com to sign up for the scheduled workshops.

For questions about Service Best: stec.training@sasktourism.com
Toll Free: 1-800-331-1529

*Special Lake Diefenbaker Tourism Service Best Initiative Rate: $79 for all registrants + GST (Regular Fee is $109 for Tourism Saskatchewan members, $129 for non-members).

RTW launches in Ile a la Crosse

STEC and its northern partners Can-Sask Career and Employment Services, Primrose Lake Economic Development Corporation and Northern Career Quest launched Camp Services – Ready to Work in Ile a la Crosse today, January 16. Participants will develop workplace essential skills, and will be introduced to culinary arts and the standards for housekeeping, as well as earn certificates in First Aid / CPR, WHMIS and Food Safe.

The RTW program combines classroom instruction, hands-on skills training, and on-the-job mentoring to under-represented groups making a transition from unemployment or underemployment into the tourism workforce. Since its inception in 1994, more than 40 communities in Saskatchewan and more than 2,900 individuals have participated in RTW, found long-term rewarding careers, returned to school, completed journeyperson trades certification, or received promotions from frontline to supervisory positions.

New year, workshops gear up

I've just posted new workshop dates, such as HR Essentials and Starting a Fruit Winery. Now that the holidays are behind us, workshops and programs are getting into full swing. Check out the full listing, updated regularly, on STEC's Training and Events Calendar or Online Learning portal.

Starting a Fruit Winery

Five-day workshop, January 23 to 27, 2012

Led by Dominic Rivard, internationally-renowned and award-winning wine master, this five-day program is an excellent source of training and information for those who wish to make fruit wine. Lectures, assignments and tests as well as the textbook will be presented by qualified instructors (Dominic and two others for the regulatory and funding programs).

Dominic has been a consulting wine maker for the last 15 years, specializing in making wine from fruit. Dominic’s training and experience have led to his involvement in successful fruit wine startups worldwide and dozens of medals for the products he produces. Visit Dominic's blog, The Daily Fruit Wine.

Date: January 23 - 27, 2012. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Price: $995 + GST / person
Register by: January 15, 2012
Register online: www.steconlinelearning.com

Contact: Tim Ouellette, Industry Consultant, Industry Development, tim.ouellette@sasktourism.com
Phone: 306-933-5900
Toll Free: 1-800-331-1529

HR Essentials for tourism business owners and managers

HR Management - for people who aren't HR Managers

STEC is holding two workshops on human resources management for people who aren’t HR managers. HR Essentials provides a five-step process that shows you in less than six hours how to find reliable employees, create a productive workplace and reduce expensive staff turnover. With your own copy of the emerit HR Toolkit, you’ll learn how to prepare job advertisements that get results, create application forms that ask the right questions, and conduct interviews that weed out unqualified candidates. The workshop shows you how to build a winning team that keeps your business competitive and lets you plan for a secure future. The workshop also covers occupational health and safety, employee orientation, and staff training. Your HR Toolkit contains all the forms and templates you need to get started right away.

Two HR Essentials workshops are scheduled: in Saskatoon, Tuesday, February 7; and in Regina, Wednesday, February 8. Cost is $175/person, plus GST. For more information, visit www.steconlinelearning.com.

RTW Culinary Arts holds VIP luncheon in Regina

Mouth-watering duck salad starts VIP
luncheon as participants showcase their
talents at the conclusion of Ready to
Work (RTW) – Intro to Culinary Arts –
Tourism Careers.

Participants concluding their Ready to Work (RTW) – Intro to Culinary Arts – Tourism Careers program in Regina hosted a VIP luncheon at the Adult Centre for Employment Readiness and Training (ACERT), November 18. The luncheon allowed 19 adult students to showcase their skills to their families and local MLAs.

Ready to Work is a career awareness, skills development, and transition-to-employment program that assists individuals in finding long-term, rewarding careers in the tourism sector. It is coordinated nationally through the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) and delivered in Saskatchewan by the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council (STEC), a division of Tourism Saskatchewan, with support from federal, provincial and community partners. In Regina, these partners include the City of Regina, Regina Trade and Skills Centre (RTSC), Regina Food Bank, First Nations Employment Centre and Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.

SHSA completes STEC facilitator's workshop for staff

The Service and Hospitality Safety Association of Saskatchewan (SHSA) arranged STEC’s Facilitator Skills Development Workshop for nine staff in November.

The 3½-day “train the trainer” workshop builds a solid foundation of knowledge and skills for anyone who delivers training or presentations to adults. The workshop is required for all contract facilitators of STEC training programs, but in this instance the SHSA was looking for a program that would help its staff deliver its own training and services more effectively. The STEC program was a perfect match because it’s tailored to industries in the tourism sector, providing participants with skills and practice that make them better communicators and trainers.

Any organization can use the facilitators’ workshop to help staff create more productive working relationships, and to engage and motivate their clients. The SHSA participants said that in addition to discovering those benefits, they valued the way the workshop approaches planning and facilitating.

More Service Best workshops in Prince Albert

STEC has scheduled Service Best workshops in Prince Albert at a reduced rate to help area businesses create Canada's first Service Best City.

Prince Albert Tourism, Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce, Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District and North Central Enterprise Region have challenged local and area businesses to become designated as Service Best Businesses. Prince Albert becomes a Service Best City when 300 of the 500 businesses that are members of the Chamber of Commerce achieve Service Best Business designation.

For workshop dates and registration information, visit www.steconlinelearning.com.

Lake Diefenbaker area teachers ready to deliver Service Best in high schools

Mid-Sask Enterprise Region organized a Teachers’ In-Service workshop in Outlook in November. Seven teachers from schools in the Sun West School Division, and another from Prairie Spirit School Division in Blaine Lake, certified as facilitators to deliver Service Best in the destination region’s high schools to give students a competitive advantage in their summer jobs. Most people get their first job experience working in tourism, so early customer service training can really help.

Diefenbaker Destination Developments is setting the groundwork for becoming the first Service Best Area. As part of its destination strategy designed to improve tourism infrastructure, training and awareness, the non-profit organization and its partners, Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Tourism Saskatchewan, Lake Diefenbaker Tourism, and the Mid-Sask Enterprise Region are working to create a culture of service excellence.

From now until the end of March, the destination area is setting up Service Best in Outlook, Elbow, Central Butte, Lucky Lake and Davidson. STEC is making the workshop available at special group pricing that makes it easier to empower frontline staff to deliver superior customer service. For workshop dates and registration information, visit www.steconlinelearning.com.

Tourism Saskatoon looking for marketing director

Tourism Saskatoon is looking for a Director of Markets & Advertising. Application Deadline is January 20. For details, visit the Tourism Saskatoon careers page.