Here you will find information on the benefits and advantages of investing in employee skills development, and how TrainingAid can support such initiatives through sustainable tourism courses and resources. If you are seeking support from your company to pursue your learning and skills building efforts focused on sustainability, you can share this page with your employer. If you represent a tourism organisation and are interested in exploring training opportunities for your team members, this is for you. Why Sustainability Training? 1. Sustainability performance is a business imperative Many regulators, investors, buyers, and consumers today are keen to see a company demonstrate commitment to sustainability. Sustainability has long played an important role in RFP processes and customer relations, and an increasing number of organisations are requiring sustainability data from their suppliers and business partners. 2. Sustainability skills are key to business success Making sustainability a priority in organization-wide skills development efforts will help create an environment where employees are more engaged and motivated. By highlighting the need and relevance of sustainability skills as a business priority, tourism businesses can inspire employees and team members to be more proactively engaged in their work. 3. Staff engagement is a core pillar of sustainability standards To ensure transparency and credibility, tourism organisations can work towards obtaining and displaying a sustainability certification, validating sustainability practices through independent verification. A key part of certification requirements is staff engagement and sustainability training for employees. Below are just a few examples of certification programs for tourism companies addressing sustainability performance, and their requirements related to staff engagement and training. Good Travel Seal: “Employees are offered regular training, experience and opportunities for advancement.” (Good Travel Seal Standard v4.3.2, 3. Good employment) Green Key: “Staff members must receive yearly training on environmental and other sustainability issues.” (Green Key criteria and explanatory notes - Hotels & Hostels, 2. Staff Involvement) TourCert: “All employees (including those in the destinations) receive training at least once a year on at least one of the following topics: (i) human rights, (ii) working conditions (including health and safety, risk and crisis management, efficiency and quality), (iii) environmental protection, (iv) biodiversity and (v) their role and responsibility in the implementation of these aspects.” (TourCert Criteria Catalogue Industry 2021, 5. Employees, 5.2) Travelife for Tour Operators: “All personnel receive periodic training regarding their roles, rights and responsibilities with respect to social and cultural practices, economic and quality issues, human rights issues and health and safety practices (including risk and crisis management).” (Travelife Certified standard for travel companies, 2.26. Training) 4. Your staff determines the success of your sustainability efforts Regardless of where you currently are on your company's sustainability journey, the skills, talents and abilities your staff brings to the team will determine how successful you will be in implementing your sustainability plans and strategies. 5. Investing in skills pays off Investing in skills building opportunities can help improve employee engagement and enhance employee morale, which, in turn, can help improve employee retention. A key part of looking after your employees – and by extension looking after the needs of your customers, which helps strengthen your business performance and customer loyalty – should be empowering them through opportunities for skills development and professional growth. This is a “win-win” for employers and employees, as having a knowledgeable, creative and engaged team of employees is a key ingredient of sustained business success. Why Online and Hybrid Learning? 1. Your team is ready for online learning Many tourism industry professionals consider e-learning programs and online training opportunities to be among the most important ways for them to gain new skills. Further, a large number of tourism professionals - likely including your own staff members - have already participated in some form of online and hybrid learning* programs both for professional and personal reasons. Whether you’ve already implemented online skills development opportunities within your company or not, a learning and development program that effectively incorporates online solutions will be welcomed by your team as an effective and relevant training option. 2. Your employees need relevant and useful training For your staff training and sustainability skills building offers for your team to be successful, you need to design your learning and development approaches in a way that is relevant to the roles and responsibilities your employees have, and useful to both their day-to-day job performance and their long-term professional development goals. By incorporating flexible, adaptable and accessible online learning opportunities into your staff learning and development programs, you can ensure your training and skills development efforts fit your team in a meaningful way. 3. You can make the most of your learning and development investment The most important factor of your training delivery success is NOT the format or medium, but the context in which your training is delivered. To ensure effective learning, your learning and development programs should: Be optimised for results: Focus on improving your sustainability skills through practical lessons. Accommodate different needs: Allow team members to learn flexibly and at the pace that seamlessly fits their busy schedules. Leverage social learning: Create a supportive and social learning environment that encourages interaction and collaboration among team members. *Hybrid learning (or “blended learning”) combines online learning with in-person instruction in order to enhance interactive learning opportunities and seeks to combine the best aspects of in-person and online learning for a more flexible and engaging learning experience. Why TrainingAid? 1. We are experts in training design Just as the way we work is rapidly changing (flexible working, virtual meetings and hybrid events), the way we learn should reflect the evolving nature of employee expectations, business models and perceptions of what it means to work in our industry. We apply our expertise in training design to meet the needs of today’s tourism industry employers. From selecting the right training format to finding trainers, from developing the training content to deploying seamless learner experiences, we are here to support your organisation's sustainability journey with effective and engaging learning and development programs for your team. 2. We are experts in sustainable tourism For over a decade, we’ve specialised in knowledge sharing, skills development and capacity building in sustainable tourism. Building on our experience, we can ensure sustainable tourism training development that is based on a solid foundation of practical knowledge and relevant expertise. In addition to our in-house subject matter expertise in sustainable business and destination management, sustainable tourism standards, and sustainability skills development, we’ve worked with a global network of sustainability experts and industry leaders providing unique insights, practical lessons and real-life examples. 3. We bring many years of experience facilitating knowledge sharing We are bridge builders. One of the most important and effective ways for tourism industry professionals to build relevant skills is to learn through the examples, stories and lessons from industry practitioners with relevant expertise. We help organizations strengthen team performance by facilitating opportunities for team members to exchange ideas, share knowledge and collaborate with each other to help fill any skill gaps they may have. And we help facilitate this "knowledge transfer" process within the tourism industry by utilising our network of industry professionals, so that learning from experts becomes easier for those seeking to improve professional skills. Our Solutions: Staff Training 1. Want quick tips on where to start? Fill out this free request form* and receive a few tangible, practical and actionable tips and pointers on what you can do right now to get started. *No purchase necessary, and no obligation of any kind implied. 2. Need basic content to help raise your team’s overall knowledge level? We can provide short videos, instructions, and presentations that you can use as the basis for your staff learning and development programs. 3. Need a custom package for your team? Get in touch with us to discuss tailored solution options for your team - from leadership team training to staff up-skilling, from short online sessions to in-depth strategic learning and development programs. Questions? Please feel free to contact us, we're here to help! Ferdinand Weps Director of Operations and Learning Solutions, TrainingAid [email protected]