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1000 tourism employees by 2020 by Joanna Atzori 15 December 2013
T
he Queensland Tourism Industry Council’s (QTIC) Indigenous Tourism Employment Champions Network hosted the Increasing Indigenous Participation in Tourism Forum in Brisbane recently. The third annual forum hosted by QTIC was attended by representatives from the tourism industry and the broader community which specifically focused on supporting prospective employers and employees. Guests took part in robust discussions about the practicalities of increasing Indigenous employment in the workforce, particularly in Queensland. QTIC General Manager – Business Strategy, Kim Harrington, said the Increasing Indigenous Participation in Tourism Forum was an important annual event for QTIC to continue supporting Indigenous employment in tourism. “The QTIC Tourism Indigenous Employment Champions Network is a group of volunteer tourism operators that have exhibited best practice in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employment,” Ms Harrington said. “The Champions Network aims to increase tourism operators’ awareness of how to encourage and maintain increased participation of Indigenous Australians within the industry. “Together with the Champions, QTIC has developed a range of resources for tourism operators to provide valuable strategies and recommendations on successful employment and retention of Indigenous workers. “The Indigenous Tourism Employment Champions Network has also presented at numerous
industry conferences, provided tourism industry career path information to Indigenous students and job seekers, and identified Indigenous employment placements within the industry.” Keynote speakers at the Increasing Indigenous Participation in Tourism Forum who provided case studies and examples of recruitment and retention strategies included: • Mr John Perry, General Manager, BoysTown • Al Mucci, General Manager Life Sciences, Dreamworld • Kim Dorward, Mossman Gorge (QTIC Indigenous Tourism Employment Champion) • Violet Singh, Compass Group Pty Ltd (QTIC Indigenous Tourism Employment Champion) • Fleur Scott, Emporium Hotel (QTIC Indigenous Tourism Employment Champion) • Debbie Lanham, SnapFresh (QTIC Indigenous Tourism Employment Champion) • Jason Timor, Qantas (QTIC Indigenous Tourism Employment Champion) Ms Harrington said the ambitious goal that has been set by the Indigenous Tourism Employment Champions Network is to assist with the employment of 1,000 Indigenous people in the tourism industry by 2020.
“All operators are encouraged to connect with QTIC to discuss ideas and share success stories to demonstrate how we can each contribute to realising this objective,” she said. “It’s essential to have employer input into the Champions Network so that the industry can work collaboratively to reach our goal of having 1,000 employed Indigenous people working in tourism by 2020.” QTIC and the Indigenous Tourism Employment Champions Network extend sincere appreciation to Accor Hotels for their support of the Increasing Indigenous Participation in Tourism Forum. QTIC is the peak industry body for tourism in Queensland, acting as “The Voice of Tourism”. QTIC is a non-government private sector, membership-based organisation representing the interests of the tourism and hospitality industry across Queensland. Join the Indigenous Tourism Employment Champions Network To express your interest in the Indigenous Tourism Employment Champions Network, contact Kim Harrington, General Manager – Business Strategy, on (07) 3236 1445 or Kim.Harrington@qtic.com. au.
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