Education and tourism have been among the industries most affected by COVID-19. But now a new partnership between Centennial College and Tourism HR Canada is providing an opportunity for hospitality and tourism students to take advance of tuition-free online training.
Via a partnership with Emerit Online Learning System, students will get “high-quality, tuition-free training to prepare them for good, well-paying jobs in our tourism sector,” Mélanie Joly, minister of economic development and official languages, said in a statement.
According to a press release from Centennial, the Emerit online courses equip event managers, food and beverage managers, front desk agents and room attendants with the skills and knowledge to succeed in their careers. The training courses are built on Canadian National Occupational Standards, and completion of the online certificates meets the demands of tourism employers across the country.
“The online learning will help retain the many talented international and domestic students and ensure their academic studies can proceed with limited disruption,” says Philip Mondor, President and CEO of Tourism HR Canada.
Students who complete the online courses will be eligible for prior learning assessment recognition towards Centennial’s two School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts programs accredited by Tourism HR Canada.
Since February, the tourism sector – which employs 10 percent of Canadians – has accounted for 30.3 per cent of the almost three million jobs that have been lost.
Within tourism itself, 43.3 per cent, or 881,700 jobs, have been lost since February.
