Human Resource Advocacy
Best Practice Mission Report: Portland Maine
TIANS and the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council (NSTHRC), in partnership with the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency - NS, facilitated a Best Practice Mission to Portland, Maine. Read More
HR Whitepaper
Employee training is often seen as a luxury, especially when it seems business is challenged monthly to streamline and cut costs. But a lack of investment in employee training in order to save costs can have the opposite effect. A well-trained workforce can improve business productivity and efficiency, drive innovation and development and vastly alter a customer’s perception of the business. Skillsoft recently released a whitepaper highlighting the 7 Skills Every Employee should have in their skill set. This paper highlights those key skills that are vitally important for a prosperous, innovative and efficient business.
Dual Credentialing for Hotel General Managers!
Tourism HR Canada (formally Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council) and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) finalized a credential recognition agreement that offers hotel managers the opportunity to hold credentials from both organizations.
Each organization has agreed to award their credential to individuals who hold the other organization's designation. This means that for only a small cost to cover administration of the credential, a hotel manager who has earned the CHGM credential will also be awarded the CHA credential or vice versa. To find out how to earn these designations, please call 902.423.4480.
Have you checked out www.tourismopportunity.ca lately?
The Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council continues to add the stories and perspective of the fascinating people who work in our industry across the province. Featuring video interviews with everyone from students getting their feet wet, to the owners and operators of some of our leading businesses, Tourism Opportunity is all about sharing the good news and depth of opportunities in one Nova Scotia's leading economic sectors – the tourism industry.
This month, in honour of maple season, we are delighted to feature the story of Quita Gray, from Sugar Moon Farm located in Earltown. Quita and her husband, Scott Whitelaw, had a love affair with agriculture and forestry and have combined those passions into Sugar Moon Farm. To hear more about Quita's tourism opportunity story, or hear from others in our industry, visit www.tourismopportunity.ca
Free Online Retention Tools for Tourism Operators!
Two online retention tools are available to tourism operators at no cost! The Employee Turnover Cost Calculator and Return on Investment resources can be used by departmental supervisors, managers, and owners/operators.
The Employee Turnover Cost Calculator is a national tool designed to assist operators in measuring the expense of employee turnover and compare it to more cost-effective retention strategies that will reduce turnover and increase profits. For more information and to download the program, please click here.
The Return on Investment tool was designed to provide a means to identify the value of dollars invested in training related to the cost of training and the benefits achieved in increased sales, guest satisfaction, and productivity. The ROI tool's online format allows for ease of use by those in the industry wishing to see the financial impact training has on their business. To download the tool, please click here.
New Trio of Diversity Workshops!
The Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council offers an extensive family of service excellence training workshops which are designed to be interactive and have been developed for front-line employees, supervisors, and managers. The premise for our programs is that good service provided by knowledgeable staff will encourage repeat business. Through these workshops, employees will increase understanding of their customers, communicate more productively and achieve higher levels of collaboration with co-workers. Let us help you lead the way.
Customers with Disabilities: this half-day workshop teaches front-line employees how to increase their sensitivity toward people with disabilities and provides them with superior customer service skills that respect every customer's unique requirements.
Service Excellence in the Global Village: this three-hour workshop was developed to enhance awareness of customers and co-workers who are cultural, ethnically or linguistically different.
Mature Consumer: this is a one-day training session that helps businesses improve the way they serve the senior population. With the ever-increasing number of older patrons, businesses must learn how to benefit from the age-wave. Call 902.423.4480 to schedule a workshop in your area!
Study Groups
For the past decade, the Council has been hosting emerit National Certification study groups for Supervisor and Food and Beverage Manager. Employers now recognize that employees who successfully completed the study group and certification were more confident, developed stronger leadership skills and performance coaching techniques. For this reason, we have been experiencing a high volume of registrations and will be scheduling more study groups for 2016. We will be emailing TIANS Members the fall/winter 2016 schedule for study groups in Halifax. If you would like to be added to the waitlist for the next study group or are interested in a session in your region please call 902.423.4480.
New Programs!
The Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council has secured the rights to the new WorldHost Program from the Province of BC. The workshop builds on the same principles as our original SuperHost but has a fresh new look and updated content. WorldHost was delivered as the training program for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games, giving this workshop a significant amount of brand identity. We will be offering a business recognition program as part of our program marketing plan.
We are also very pleased to be launching a ½ day program focused on Customers with Disabilities that is part of the WorldHost family. This workshop will assist service professionals in dispelling myths and developing their communication and service skills for customers who have disabilities. It also builds awareness of accessible services and attractions for visitors.
Call 902.423.4480 to book the new WorldHost and Customers with Disabilities sessions for your team today!
Mentoring Programs
The Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council (NSTHRC) and the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS) have developed a mentorship program tailored specifically to individual tourism operators. Primarily intended for rural businesses, this opportunity provides operators with a dedicated conversation with an experienced industry professional, focusing on the specific area they wish to improve upon. The mentoring session will be conducted by an objective, knowledgeable industry professional, chosen to meet the specific needs relevant to the area the operator wishes to improve upon. The mentor will share their knowledge and assist in identifying potential opportunities to improve business, solve issues and concerns, and provide input into plans for the future. Participants will be provided with a brief summary report outlining the recommendations discussed during the mentoring session. Topics could range from sales & marketing, catering & conference services, human resources, guest services, customer relations, organizational concerns, tactics & policies, food cost & control or menu review & planning. Participation is free of charge for TIANS members and applications are welcome from all sectors of the industry, however space is limited, so apply early. Click here for an application form or contact Lisa Dahr at 422-5249 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.