editor’s note hospotraining
TRAINING THE FUTURE OF KIWI HOSPITALITY
The return on investment (ROI) from training and development of employees is really a no brainer as many studies show, although hospitality businesses tend to forgo proper staff training due to associated costs, training actually accounts for a revenue generator.
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any hospitality workers start in entry-level positions and work their way up into higher level jobs. When a company takes the time to train its people, it is easier to recognise the talent that can be developed for higher management positions. Training for the hospitality industry is diverse. Basic skills include communication and ways to interact with customers. It also involves teamwork training and diversity training, because the staff is perceived as one unit. Learning to work together with people from different backgrounds is essential since staff never know what the background of any specific customer will be, yet the customer experience needs to be the same for everyone. It also covers basic health and safety training, a vital aspect to any hospitality business. According to research, employees say a company’s inhouse training courses make them more likely to stay. Employees show increased satisfaction levels, feel appreciated, have better internal relationships, feel challenged and are more efficient in executing the job.
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restaurantandcafé.co.nz
Increased Customer Awareness
A Culinary Culture of Learning
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased customer brand awareness, Kiwi consumers want to spend money with businesses they can trust, this is particularly important when it comes to food safety and hygiene. Customers recognise well trained staff and when employees can anticipate or quickly solve problems, guests are more likely to return.
Creating a culture of learning inspires everyone at every level of a hospitality business. Apprenticeships are a proven way that businesses can help develop excellent skills and expertise in the workplace while employees build satisfying careers on the job. Your workplace could be eligible for a wage subsidy through the government’s apprenticeship support programme. The Apprenticeship Support Programme is a cross-agency government response to help employers retain and bring on new apprentices, including Mana in Mahi participants, while dealing with the effects of COVID-19.
The New COVID Classroom
COVID-19 has also changed the teaching space, virtual classes are the new reality which is proving to be highly beneficial. Online or digital courses are not only convenient for the student who can access them wherever they are, but it has also been shown that people are more likely to engage in videos instead of reading documents or articles. People who train online also tend to learn five times more than other people who train through other media, and it is around 50 percent more cost effective for employers.
The Apprenticeship Support Programme is delivered from several government agencies and includes: • the new Apprenticeship Boost, to help employers keep and take on new apprentices in their first two years of training. • an expansion to MSD’s Mana in Mahi programme to help people who need additional
support to gain long-term work and a formal industry qualification, and better support the employers investing in them. • support for seven existing Group Training Schemes to help them continue to employ some 1,700 apprentices and trainees. • the new Regional Apprenticeships Initiative, funded through the Provincial Growth Fund, which will support employers in the regions to take up new apprentices.
Apprenticeship Boost Apprenticeship Boost is a payment to help employers keep and take on new apprentices. It means apprentices can keep earning and training towards their qualifications as the economy recovers from the impacts of COVID-19. The payment is made directly to employers. You can get Apprenticeship Boost if your apprentices are: actively training through a transitional Industry Training Organisation (ITO) or a provider training for a New Zealand Apprenticeship or Managed Apprenticeship recognised by the Tertiary Education Commission in their first 24 months of training (this includes any previous apprenticeship enrolment, including any other apprenticeships, with the same transitional ITO or provider). You can find more information about the Apprentice Support Programme at www. workandincome.govt.nz
