Edition 43, April 2007

Hospitality industry professional development strategy

Service Skills Australia (the Service Industries Skills Council) has developed an action plan to address recommendations contained in the Strategic Industry Audit of Training in the Hospitality Industry - National Report.

The 2005 audit, commissioned by the National Quality Council, found that while most employers were happy with the quality of training, there was significantly low compliance in relation to certain Australian Quality Training Framework standards.

Eighty-four registered training organisations from across Australia took part in the audit, which showed that the majority had scope to improve planning, development and implementation of delivery and assessment in accordance with training package requirements.

One of the key recommendations of the audit was for more targeted professional development and ongoing support in the development of learning and assessment resources.

In response to the audit and to facilitate the implementation of the new merged Tourism, Hospitality and Events Training Package, Service Skills Australia has developed the Learning and Assessment: National Professional Development Strategy.

The strategy incorporates professional development workshops based on the new training package which is due for endorsement in the first half of 2007.

These workshops, targeting teachers, assessors and registered training organisations, will focus both on changes within the new package and the quality issues identified in the audit.

The strategy includes the production of a range of national professional development materials and activities.

The full-day teacher and assessor workshops, to be conducted in each state and territory, are scheduled for May and June. The aim is to build a national pool of industry-based trainers who will then be able to deliver professional development workshops around Australia.

The program of hospitality industry-specific professional development workshops for registered training organisations will focus on assessment and on learning and assessment strategies.

Information on the sessions will be available on the Service Skills Australia website once the timetable is completed.

For more information on the Learning and Assessment: National Professional Development Strategy contact Susan Briggs, Service Skills Australia, on 02 8243 1200, sbriggs@serviceskills.com.au or visit www.serviceskills.com.au

To view the Strategic Industry Audit of Training in the Hospitality Industry - National Report visit www.dest.gov.au/sectors/training_skills/policy_issues_reviews/key_issues/nts (Select 'Australian vocational education and training' > 'National Quality Council' > 'strategic audit of training in the hospitality industry')

This article originally appeared in Training Packages @ Work, March 2007

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