Workforce Development Activities

BHA’S CURRENT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

•    Education and Training Activities Ramped Up Considerably in 2011
•    Baha Mar Investment Adds Urgency to Industry Need to Address Manpower Development  
•    Continuum Approach Undertaken With Focus on:
o    Work with Primary and Secondary Schools
o    Post-Secondary Schools
o    Training and Credentialing Within Industry
o    Scholarships
o    Business Development Support
o    Strategic Planning and Positioning

1.    WORK WITH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
•    Junior Hotelier Student Awareness Program
Target:  1200 students      Status:  Ongoing, over 600 students to date.

•    Career Fair w/Ministry of Education–Oct 2011
Goal:  Increase Business Participation over previous years

•    Boot Camp for High School Seniors w/COB, MOE, MOTA – April 2011
Goal:  500 students     Status:  Goal Met

•    8th Summer Educators Internship Program w/MOE, COB – June 27-July 1, 2011
Goal: 75 Educators     Status:  Exceeded Goal

•    Support American Hotel & Lodging Education Institute’s START Program Pilots at Anatol Rogers HS and North Andros HS
Goal:  Incorporate Industry Developed Program into High Schools    Status:  Year One Pilots Completed with Over 30 students

•    Careers Workshop with Johnson and Wales University
Goal:  Broaden Student’s Industry Awareness and Facilitate J&W Enrollment and Scholarships for Bahamian Students
Status: Held each year w/Queen’s College, MOE, BHA.  Expect 3-400 seniors resulting in new J&W students and scholarships. Over 20 Bahamians Receive J&W Scholarships Since Program Started Three Years Ago

•    Guidance Counselors Workshop, October
Goal:  Expose 100 careers counselors and guidance counselors to industry opportunities and readiness needs.
Status:  xxx? Counselors participate in summer educator internship program.

•    High School Tourism Curriculum Upgrades
Goals:
o    Upgrade and revise hospitality program in public high schools with pilot ‘academy’ program at CC Sweeting and upgrades 
in all other public HS Programs.  
o    Continue to support development of Hospitality programs introduced in several private high schools in recent years.
Status:
o    Engaging industry in developing Tourism Academy curriculum, with grade 10 curriculum to be introduced at CC
Sweeting
in fall, 2011, and subsequent grades being introduced each of the following years
o    Established Caribcert Core Employability Skills Credentialing Program incorporated into curriculum at several public
and high schools.  Over 50 students attain credential.

2.    WORK WITH POST-SECONDARY SCHOOLS
•    COB Tourism and Culinary Program Improvements
Goal:   To ensure curriculum is relevant to industry needs and better prepares students to enter industry
Status:  Industry representatives have reviewed courses and provided feedback on tourism management courses.  Culinary and apprenticeship programs need review and significant work to improve.

•    Develop at COB Certificate Courses for High Demand Entry Level Employment Categories and in Supervision and Management
•    Goal:  Begin to roll out courses in September and grow program significantly over next three years to support needs created by BahaMar demands
Status:  Industry has identified 8 employment categories and provided COB with competencies required to perform to high standards.  Working together on course details and identification of instructors

•    Revans University Professional Masters Program
Status:  7-10 students expected to complete studies and research and graduate in September.  

•    Kaplan University Online Certificate, Associate, Bachelors and Masters Programs
Status:  Have partnered with Kaplan to offer BHA members, their employees and families, 35-50 percent tuition discounts.  

•    American Public University System Online Programs
Status:  Supporting roll out of offering of online programs to member’s employees at discounted tuition rates.

•    Southeastern Nova University
Status:  Entered into discussions on offering certificate and degree programs at discounts to members.

•    Johnson & Wales Relationship
Status:  Serve on regional advisory committee.  Support outreach programs by J&W to Bahamian high school students and have assisted with facilitating scholarships.

3.    TRAINING AND CREDENTIALING WITHIN INDUSTRY

•    American Hotel & Lodging Education Institute Partners Program
Goal:  To facilitate broader industry and employee participation in attaining certifications and credentials in line, supervisory and management levels.
Status:  Entered strategic alliance to advance various training programs. Details being worked out.

•    Art of Customer Care Workshops in Cooperation with Atlantis University
Goal:  Support improved customer service and experiences.
Status: Two sessions held in March with 36 participants.  Additional sessions planned.

•    Preparing to Better Service the Latin Markets’ Workshop with MOTA and COB
Status:  Held in March, 90 participants.

•    Spanish for Hospitality Courses Offered by COB in Collaboration with BHA and MOTA
Status:  Underway with over 150 front line industry personnel completing first round, plus additional employees enrolled directly by properties.

•    2011 Food, Flavor, and Beverage Trends – Growing Revenue and Increasing Customer Traffic.  Workshops in cooperation with COB, Bahamas Culinary Assn and MOTA.
Status:  Held June 7-8-9, 46 participants in bartending sessions, 45 participants in culinary sessions.  High satisfaction ratings by participants

•    BHA Safety and Security Network
Status:  Convened security directors and management from Nassau-Paradise Island hotels, resulting in organizing of network.  Focus will be on: (1) enhanced communications; and (2) elevating standards of the industry.  Certification program options to initially credential security supervisors and managers being explored.  Certification program anticipated to be launched in fall, 2011.

4.    SCHOLARSHIPS
Eighty-one Bahamians have been awarded scholarships totaling $287,000 during the past six years to pursue tourism-related studies as a result of the BHA-led and CHTAEF programs.  

•    Industry Partners COB Scholarships Offering
Status:  Six students awarded scholarships valued at $15,000

•    CHTA Education Institute Scholarship Program
Status:  Six students awarded scholarships valued at $42,000.  An additional student was renewed at $8,000.  Awardees are attending Johnson & Wales University, Florida International University, and the American Culinary Institute.  

•    Johnson and Wales Scholarships for Bahamians
Status:  University has increased scholarship amount to $10,000 for students maintaining 3.0 or better GPA.

5.    BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

•    Human Resources Support Network
Goal:  To establish a network through the BHA Human Resources Professionals organization aimed at providing free advice and technical assistance to members on training and labour-related matters.
Status:  Being developed.  Anticipated launch is fall, 2011.

•    BHA Online Resource Center
Goal:  Provide members with a range of information, forms, support materials on the BHA website.
Status:  Anticipated completion, summer, 2011.

•    Excel Training for Hotel and Tourism-Related Businesses Workshop Series in collaboration with Atlantis University
Status:  Two workshops held in April, Nassau and Eleuthera.  June workshop planned for Abaco.  Additional sessions planned.

•    Accounting for Small Hotels and Tourism-Related Businesses
Status:  Intend to roll out in fall.

•    Energy Efficiency Conference in collaboration with Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Government of The Bahamas
Status:  Plans underway for fall conference.

•    Understanding and Using Social Media to Drive Business and Service Customers in collaboration with MOTA and Promotion Boards
Status:  Planned for fall.

•    Using Data to Improve and Drive Business workshops in collaboration with MOTA and Promotion Boards
Status:  Planned for fall.

6.    STRATEGIC PLANNING AND POSITIONING

•    Development of Database of Bahamian Students and Professionals Overseas.
Status:  Being developed in collaboration with MOTA

•    National Tourism-Related Workforce Development Collaborative and Coordinated Plan to manage broader education and training initiatives.
Status:  Meetings held with Ministers of Education and Tourism, COB President and BTVI Manager to create buy-in.  Will broaden outreach and participation in coming months.

•    BHA Human Resources Professionals Association Resource Center –
Status:  Meetings held with BHA and BHAHRPA to discuss concept.  BHAHRPA is developing.

•    Broadening Business Participation in Bahamahost –
Status:  The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and BHA have proposed to the Minister of Tourism that the two organizations assist with the roll out of Bahamahost to the private sector in order to broaden participation in the national initiative.  BHA assisted the Ministry in recent years in revamping Bahamahost to place major emphasis on providing exceptional customer service.  The new Bahamahost program has been well-received by the private sector since it was re-launched last year.  Concept paper developed and presented to Minister of Tourism who is receptive to initiative.  Chamber and BHA need to work out implementation details with Ministry.

For information on these and other Education & Training initiatives, contact the BHA WFD unit:

Latasha Allen
Project Coordinator
lallen@bahamashotels.org
Ph: (242) 502-4200