September 2008 Archives

Former BBC director general Greg Dyke was interviewed at the Advantage conference. He mainly talked about taking an organisation through change.

I'll come back to this, but here are some of the observations from the session - a mix of news and live blog posts.

• Greg Dyke tells agents to embrace change  
• A short quote about management
• Anyone can have ideas
• The importance of the backroom staff
• Capturing and using ideas

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Interesting to see this ad from Thomson and First Choice. It would seem that Tim Williamson, customer director at Thomson, has made a flying start to his new role.

The key now will be for all front line staff to match the company's desired levels of customer service.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

I know I have been posting on People 1st, but it so happens I met up with chief exec Brian Wisdom and travel and diploma lead John Humphreys at Monday's Institute of Travel and Tourism president's dinner at the Dorchester hotel in London.

Brian and I had a great chat about skills development in the travel industry. He expalined how his early focus at People 1st had been on the hospitality industry and now his foicus was on travel.

He said the government provided £50m for skills and training in travel and tourism BUT he doubted that many in the sector were aware of this. The industry has never been very good at organising itself on such industry-wide matters, so no surprises that this funding is litlle known about.

The good news is that he is working with employers, the ITT (thanks Claire Steiner - ITT's education guru - for a good chat on Monday) and others to focus the industry on using this money effectively.

Brian has penned a column to this effect which we will be publishing shortly.

People 1st's John Humphreys is off to Novi Sad, Serbia, to address an international tourism conference EIAT2008. John will be talking about the travel and tourism diploma.

Also representing the UK is professor Rob Davidson, from the University of Westminster. he will be talking about the war for talent in travel and tourism.

Great to see UK travel and tourism sharing knowledge at such events. John has said he will do us a report . . . we loook forward to it.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Today marks the launch of the government's diploma guide for employers.

The guide provides a comprehensive overview of diplomas and the benefits for employers, as well as practical advice how to get involved in delivery.

The launch will be supported by national press and radio advertising.

Interesting that there is an XL Facebook group which currently has around 800 employees signed up.

As well as sharing experiences there are a lot of job offers flying around.

It will be interesting to see how the recruitment agencies responsd to this.

I guess XL execs might well be looking for jobs on Linkedin and other networking sites

Martin Couzins, managing editor 

Great to see People 1st have boosted travel and tourism's influence by appointing Hoseasons chief executive to its board. 

Here is the press release . . .

People 1st has strengthened its commitment to travel and tourism, with the announcement that Richard Carrick will be joining its Board of Trustees.

The chief executive of Hoseasons Holidays joins a board of nine other trustees, which includes chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, Nick Varney.

Useful benchmarking resource for employers - the National Employer Skills Survey - from the Learning and Skills Council. 

. . . then surely investing in staff training can work for travel and tourism.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Interesting story on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines taking part in an 'organisational raid' on communications giant Siemens.

The raid involves a number of companies taking a look at how a company delivers training, HR and so on.

RCCL's training manager David Chidley said the e-learning programme he saw at Siemens influenced the e-learning programme he has developed at the cruise line.

Chidley is so won over by the raid concept that RCCL is hosting one on Independence of the Seas on 15 October.

This is one we will be following up on. Be interesting to see if other travel companies are involved in these raids as they are enormously useful. Great to see a travel company looking outside of the travel sphere for new wyas of doing things.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority - the regulatory body for exams - has redeveloped its diploma web pages make them easier to use, with content now subdivided into several new areas:

• Administration and consortium working - QCA support related to the logistics of delivering the Diploma, including the Diploma aggregation service and insights from Diploma pathfinders into working in a consortium approach
• Teaching, learning and assessment guidance - comprehensive guidance resources for teachers of the Diploma, including the curriculum for the Diploma
• Policy and structure - information about the structure of the Diploma itself, including structures and standards documentation
• Qualification development - including the development of phase 3 and 4 Diplomas
• Regulation - links to Ofqual's Diploma content
• More information - including a definitive Diploma glossary of terms
   

Martin Couzins, managing editor

TW has created a dedicated skills and training page where we will be pulling together news, views and resources.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Employers, employees and students (and anyone else for that matter)  keen to find out what the content of the forthcoming diploma in travel and tourism can find out by looking at the criteria document on the Ofqual website.

[Ofqual is the regulator of qualifications, exams and tests in England]

This document is the culmination of 16 months' work and extensive consultation with employers, trade associations, higher education, further education, private training providers and other interested parties.

John Humphreys, travel and tourism diploma development partnership , project lead, sent this letter into TW . . .

On behalf of the Travel and Tourism Diploma Development Partnership (DDP) I write in thanks and support of the excellent and forward-thinking training and skills focus in Travel Weekly.

The DDP and its partner SSCs of People1st and GoSkills are encouraged to be collaborating so closely with a range of key partners such as ITT, the Tourism Society, ABTA and AA Appointments. 

 

Interesting story on Personnel Today about Red Coats at Butlins in Bognor Regis being offered two-year foundation degree places in musical arts/entertainment at the University of Chichester.

This is the type of local initiative which will be enormously useful for Butlins - training and retention can only benefit and they look like a better employer for it.

Martin Couzins, managing editor