Two Business People Having Coffee

Quality Mentoring for Businesses

Program Overview

The Quality Mentoring for Tourism Businesses Program was a joint pilot initiative of TIANS with support from ACOA. The program was designed to support the long-term rebuilding and sustainability of the sector. By connecting business owner/operators with qualified mentors, operators received professional expertise in a targeted business topic of their choice. This included structured feedback, insight and recommendations around improvement and innovation of tourism businesses.

What Type of Mentoring Was Available?

Operational Efficiencies & Innovations

Guidance to improve workflows, productivity and other efficiencies for your business – save time and money. Identification of opportunities to improve physical product/state of repair as well as technological improvements (reservation software, yield management systems etc.)

General Management Advice & Mentoring

Feedback and support in adapting your business management practices to succeed in a new era for the tourism industry. This can include topics such as human resource strategies, succession planning and more.

Marketing

Marketing support, such as graphic design and social media services to appeal to customers in the "new normal." Stand out from your competition and draw in new business.


Business Financial Planning

Expert advisory services regarding financing options, available government supports, and financial planning to help strengthen business going forward.

Other

Looking for something not identified here? Contact us to see how we may be able to help. We can arrange for a virtual or in-person connection.

Build the Quality Advantage in Your Tourism Business – Resource Guide

HR Strategic Planning and Training Tools

i. Management

ii. Supervisory

iii. Essential Skills and Occupational Specific Training

  • Emerit Online learning and National Certification - emerit.ca

Fundamental Tourism Training Programs

Nova Scotia Best Customer Service Program

This workshop provides the tools and skills needed to become a service professional capable of delivering high quality guest experiences.

Clean it Right

Online training for individuals and businesses. Clean it Right is a training program and business designation offered through TIANS. The program is designed to provide awareness and education on cleaning and sanitizing best practices and is available in four Modules:1. Accommodations; 2. Food & Beverage; 3. Retail and 4. Transportation

Tourism Rocks!

This online Ambassador Program aims to inspire Nova Scotian pride and the desire to share unique local experiences with visitors. While the natural beauty of our province may attract travelers, it is the hospitality and kindness of our people that keep them coming back year after year. Tourism Rocks – sign up and become a Tourism Ambassador today!

Serve it Up Program

High School Culinary Career Exploratory Program. This initiative offers students a meaningful and relevant educational opportunity to explore and experience careers in the culinary trades including paid “hands-on” summer work experience under the guidance of a Red Seal Cook. Students completing the program receive 3 High School Co-Op credits and 300 pre-apprenticeship hours.

WHMIS for Tourism

This course meets the legislated worker training requirements for all Federal and Provincial workplaces in all provinces and territories. Content has been adapted to reflect tourism and hospitality workplaces.

Food Safety Training Basics.FST

Online self-paced learning leading to provincially recognized exam for Food Safety training.

Nova Scotia Tourism Sector SkillsPass Portal

A training management platform offering a catalog of online courses, training, and webinars specific to our industry. Programs are available at no cost and include Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Bullying in the Workplace, Professional Development for Supervisors and Managers and much more. We invite employers and employees to take advantage of this training to advance their skillset.

Custom Program Development and Delivery also available - Contact training@tourism.ca

Tourism Research and Data

Tourism Employment Tracker

Monthly data summaries of tourism related employment across Canada. Research is based on Stats Can and other recognized sources of data and can be filteerd by province, sector, gender etc.

Human Resource Module

Statistics for the entire sector and each of its five industry groups. Stats are available by sex, by work status, by age group, by immigrant status, and by occupation

Tourism Labour Force Survey

Collects standard labour market indicators and is a major source of information on the working-age population in all provinces. Tourism HR Canada reviews the estimates available for tourism industries on both monthly and an annual basis

2023 Compensation Study

Tourism stakeholders can access the latest information on human resource practices, salary ranges, average earnings, benefits, and commissions from a range of tourism businesses and organizations from across Canada (available by province)

Tourism Sector Dashboard

The Association of Industry Sector Councils (AISC) in conjunction with the 14 Industry Sector councils that it represents, conducted the workforce insights survey to understand the challenges tourism employers in Nova Scotia are facing. All of the information in the dashboard can be summarized by sector, economic region, and/or business size.

Tourism Workforce Recovery ToolKit

A practical, no-cost, web-based program that includes tools, downloadable content, and presentations, all designed to give tourism operators the knowledge resources they need to rebound and succeed.

Human Resources Management

Recruitment

How to Attract New Employees

https://discovertourism.ca/tool/how-to-attract-new-employees/

TourismTalent.com

Exclusive Nova Scotia tourism job posting and employment search portal

Now Hiring: A Tool to Help Employers

The tools in this guide are intended to help tourism businesses get started on the path to recovery, with both short-term and long-term strategies to attract, retain, and grow a skilled workforce. Now Hiring covers a range of essential HR practices, tips to implement them, and practical checklists and forms to help tackle key issues.

Serve it Up Program

High School Culinary Career Exploratory Program. This initiative offers students a meaningful and relevant educational opportunity to explore and experience careers in the culinary trades including paid “hands-on” summer work experience under the guidance of a Red Seal Cook. Students completing the program receive 3 High School Co-Op credits and 300 pre-apprenticeship hours.

Recruiting International Talent

Tips and Resources on Recruiting International Talent Through the Canadian Immigration System (Infographics)

Propel Student Workplace Program

Propel offers registered Canadian businesses, startups, and not-for-profits related to the tourism and hospitality sector a subsidy on each qualifying student’s wages.

Certified Age-Friendly Employer (CAFÉ) Program

Business certification program that designates organizations committed to exemplary workplace practices for employees aged 50+. Contact: tians@tourism.ca for more information.

Retention

Online HR Tool Kit

The HR Toolkit contains guides, templates, tools, and tips for developing internal policies, recruitment plans, and helps you optimize resource allocations. It comes with customizable templates such as job offer letters, training plans, employee manuals, wellness surveys, job descriptions, and much more. Also includes interview checklists, staffing reminders, and other HR forms that make managing people easier and more efficient.

Business Builder Tools

is an exceptional business-in-a-box start-up kit. The modules will walk you step-by-step through all the business processes and tasks needed to set up an efficient operation, from businessplanning to product development, and marketing to management. This resource includes learning modules as well as downloadable, customizable templates.

 
Tourism Workforce Recovery Tool Kit

Delivering guidance and instructions for best practices, the contents of the toolkit were developed based on a series of in-depth interviews conducted with SMEs nationwide to understand their needs

Workforce Management Engine

This interactive online tool helps professionals and organizations apply industry standards in ways that best suit their needs. This Workforce Management framework was developed to meet the challenges of tourism’s current and future trends – it currently includes over 400 unique competencies helping to contribute to a diverse, inclusive, and resilient workforce.

Strategic Workforce Planning – Online Modules

The Strategic Workforce Planning online modules will help tourism businesses analyze their current workforce and plan for expected future demand. Operators will create strategic goals and assess the gaps in their workforce; look at the resources necessary to close these gaps and the supply

HR Self-Assessment

Assessing the effectiveness of SMEs current HR practices can help ensure that businesses attract and retain a qualified workforce. Resources include HR templates, checklists, training products and other tools developed in collaboration with industry

Developing an HR Plan

Five steps to help SMEs establish or examine HR policies and practices

Accessibility Tip Sheets

Professional Development and Educational Scholarships

  1. Building Up- Tourism Employer Investment Fund Scholarship Opportunity

    The Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS) and the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council (NSTHRC) have launched a new addition to their scholarship program, with the launch of the Tourism Employer Investment Fund. This support fund will accept applications from a business owner or senior employee of the company, as they look to enhance their skills and knowledge through a wide variety of training and learning opportunities. Visit: www.surveymonkey.com/r/JQVHVVD for details and application process.

  2. Tourism Scholarships

    For Tourism Professionals as well as graduating high school students pursuing post-secondary education in culinary or tourism & hospitality programs

STAY CONNECTED FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND NEWS

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tians. The voice of tourism.

Building Through Quality

Contact TIANS, your trusted professional tourism association today to apply for the Quality Mentoring Program.

E: training@tourism.ca
Toll-Free: 1-800-94-TIANS (1-800-948-4267)