Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter
Tourism training is now more readily available
WESTERN BUREAU:
TRAINING IN the tourism sector is now more accessible through the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and its Team Jamaica training programme.
The launch of a new 'self-teaching' CD-ROM is expected to substantially increase the number of employees trained each year because of the increased flexibility of the programme. Annette Tingle, training manager for TPDCo made the disclosure at the Sandals Montego Bay hotel on Wednesday.
"We will be able to train approximately 30 per cent more tourism workers per year than would be reached with only the face to face delivery programme," said Annette Tingle, training manager for TPDCo. "Currently we train roughly 3,200 persons per year, in partnership with the HEART Trust/NTA."
OWN PACE
Noting that there are more than 70,000 direct workers in the industry to receive mandatory training and certification, Ms. Tingle also added that the CD-ROM would enable persons to train in their own time and at their own pace.
"You can complete the course at your own pace and it saves you time because a lot of participants are self employed," she said.
Established in 1997, out of a need to create a training programme for hospitality workers, the Team Jamaica Programme has successfully trained more than 12,600 persons since its inception. The Team Jamaica Self Teaching CD-ROM training package will come on stream in later this month at a cost of J$3,500, inclusive of testing and certification. The units in the CD-Rom covers tourism awareness, customer service, self-development, Jamaican history, geography, attractions, environmental awareness and teamwork.
