Real Skills Newsletter

Real Skills Newsletter

Real Skills is the newsletter of the Industry Training Sector - industry-led skill development.

Thursday 21 May

In this issue
Conference registrations open
ITF seeks real budget for real skills
Hospitality response to recession
Travel Sector Strategic Training Plan
Tranzqual joins service alliance

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Conference registrations open

Once again, our annual conference at the end of July is shaping up to be a 'must attend' event for anyone interested in developments in industry training and vocational education and training.

We've secured the services of a couple of top-notch international speakers as well as a strong line-up of local talent in keynote presentations and workshops.   I'm particularly looking forward to Tom Bewick, Board Director, Alliance of Sector Skills Council United Kingdom.  I've heard Tom present before and he is lively and thought-provoking and bound to add value to our conference theme of Skills That Add Value.

We want attendees to leave the conference with practical ideas and solutions to improve the relevance and effectiveness of workplace learning and vocational education and training, particularly in the current recession. As such, a large number of the workshops focus on results that ITOs are achieving through good practice.

This conference has sold out in the last three years so get in quick to secure your registration.

ITF seeks real budget for real skills
 

In times of economic recession, investing in industry training becomes even more crucial, says Industry Training Federation Executive Director Jeremy Baker.

While next week’s Budget was expected to be tight, he was hopeful that the government would still see the benefit of investing in industry training.

The Federation's wish-list for the Budget includes more flexibility for ITOs in how they use their core funding and support for the work ITOs do with schools. Read more

“These are not high cost items, but they are initiatives that will help secure a skilled and productive workforce now and in the future,” Mr Baker said.

Hospitality response to recession

HSI, the hospitality industry’s training organisation, is the latest ITO to announce additional support for its industry through the current difficult trading period.

Its Recession Response plan is designed to help businesses provide staff with nationally-recognised training to ensure the industry has skilled personnel to succeed in the near future. The plan aligns with the outcomes of the Government’s Job Summit by actively assisting industry recovery.

“We have developed this extra support to keep people in training so when the economy improves we still have hospitality businesses with good solid training cultures and staff with the right skills,” said HSI’s Chief Executive Steve Hanrahan. 

Travel Sector Strategic Training Plan

The Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO) has released the Strategic Training Plan – Travel Sector 2009 - 2015 which proposes a wider, more comprehensive workforce development approach to attract and train people in the Travel industry.

Recommendations focus on improving the way the travel sector attracts, screens, recruits, develops, and recognises people, and how it quality assures education and training.

“Overall, the strategy is designed to help the travel industry get the right people at the right time, with the right skills in the right place, contributing to productive, sustainable businesses,” explains ATTTO Chief Executive Elizabeth Valentine. 

Tranzqual joins service alliance

The Service Industry Training Alliance (SITA) has a new member. Tranzqual, the ITO for the transport and logistics industry has joined the cluster.

Chief Executive Wayne Smith said about one third of Tranzqual's approximately 13,000 trainees have a strong service focus, mainly from the bus & coach, taxi and rental vehicle sectors. 

"The growing issue of improving overall service levels and quality in these sectors is being driven by regulatory change as well as across the broader service industries by the likes of the rugby world cup. The SITA group has a range of initiatives already underway addressing the same or similar issues so it made sense for Tranzqual to be part of this work and not duplicate effort elsewhere.  We're  delighted to be part of the group and looking forward to progressively engaging with a number of SITA projects," Mr Smith said.

ITOs are increasingly working together in formal and informal ways on matters where there is common need or interest.  The SITA cluster involves six ITOs that work with service related industries including hospitality, retail, hairdressing, tourism and travel, and sport, fitness and recreation services.

ends
 

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