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NORTH VANCOUVER – Government has developed a new consortium to lead tourism and hospitality training initiatives to help prepare B.C. to host events like the 2010 Winter Games, North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Katherine Whittred announced today.
Whittred announced that the government is designating the British Columbia Centre for Leadership and Innovation in Tourism at Capilano College and the British Columbia Centre for Leadership and Innovation in Hospitality at Vancouver Community College to help provide training programs.
“Our post-secondary institutions are fostering innovative training to meet the demand for skilled workers to support the revitalized tourism and hospitality sector,” said Whittred. “By establishing two hospitality and tourism centres for leadership and innovation, we’ll ensure we have people with the right skills so that British Columbia can provide world-class service during the 2010 Winter Games and beyond.”
A new strategic advisory body called the British Columbia Tourism and Hospitality Education and Training Consortium will facilitate co-operation and planning among institutions, industry and government to ensure the education and training requirements of the tourism and hospitality industry are met.
In addition, Vancouver-Burrard MLA Lorne Mayencourt announced that government will invest approximately $1.2 million in special one-time funding to enhance and expand hospitality and tourism training programs at post-secondary institutions throughout the province.
“Our institutions already offer a variety of hospitality and tourism programs, from golf course management to wilderness adventure guiding to chef certification to hotel management,” Mayencourt said. “This fund will allow our institutions to try new approaches to tourism and hospitality training, and to explore new program idea.”
“Tourism is one of B.C.’s major economic drivers, directly and indirectly employing 266,000 British Columbians,” said Dan Jarvis, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour. “Government’s Spirit of 2010 Tourism Strategy recognizes the importance of nurturing a skilled tourism work force. By investing in this growing industry, we will be able to meet the training needs of 2010 and contribute to a strong and vibrant economy.”
“Today’s announcement is great news on two fronts,” said Capilano College president Dr. Greg Lee. “The new center for leadership and innovation in tourism at our Squamish campus will have far-reaching benefits for all of the communities of B.C. We plan to expand tourism training to the benefit of communities in the Howe Sound corridor as we head towards the 2010 Winter Games.”
“VCC takes great pride in its long-standing contribution to the hospitality sector in British Columbia,” said Vancouver Community College president Dale Dorn. “So we are understandably proud to receive this exciting recognition with the new B.C. Centre for Leadership and Innovation in Hospitality at VCC, which is a natural extension of our major role in hospitality training provincewide.”
The consortium will be made up of representatives from Capilano College, Vancouver Community College, Northwest Community College, University College of the Cariboo, the B.C. Career Colleges Association, the B.C. School Superintendents Association, two government ministries, the Industry Training Authority, go2 and five additional industry/employer representatives.
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For information on AchieveBC, visit http://www.achievebc.ca.
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