Thank You to Supporters of the Tourism Skills Training Program - Masterclass

Written By Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
 

On June 11, 2021, the first cohort of graduates from TOTA’s Tourism Skills Training Program - Masterclass came together to celebrate with a virtual graduation ceremony. After two months of online instruction, 3 certificates, +50 hours of mentorship meetings, +125 workplace practicum hours, employment coaching, and job placement support, 14 participants graduated, ready to deliver domestic tourism experiences and hospitality services in the Thompson Okanagan region.

The program was a great success, with the online format enabling TOTA and UVIC to connect with participants from their homes throughout the Thompson Okanagan region, including Blind Bay, Vernon, Kelowna, West Kelowna, Westbank, Penticton, and Okanagan Falls.

Students learned about Tourism and Hospitality trends, regional experiences, and the delivery of day-to-day guest service, including an overview of Indigenous tourism, accessible tourism, sustainable tourism, and communicable disease health & safety practices from a diverse roster of tourism experts.

The virtual Job Fair & Open House introduced program participants to 20 potential employers in the Thompson Okanagan Tourism industry.

Students completed the following certifications:

Thank You To The Program Supporters

The program came at a time when many of the participants were in search of next steps, resources, and a sense of connection, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry. The training program was offered to participants free of charge, delivered by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) in cooperation with the University of Victoria-Peter B. Gustavson School of Business and supported by the Province of British Columbia and Government of Canada.

We would like to express a heartfelt 'thank you' to the facilitators, guests speakers, presentation panelists, mentors, and job fair employers who supported this program and the participants:

Facilitators & Guest Speakers

Participants received +196 hours of instruction from +29 instructors with expertise in Tourism & Hospitality Industry Trends, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region, Tourism Career & Professional Development, and other required areas of knowledge to enable participants to provide exceptional tourism experiences in the Thompson Okanagan region.

 

University of Victoria: Peter B. Gustavson School of Business

  • Avril Matthews

  • Dr. Brent Mainprize

  • Martin Rissley

  • Christian Van Buskirk

Domestic Tourism Industry

Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA)

  • Ellen Walker-Matthews

  • Barbara Bonnough

  • Jamie Bourne

  • Sonja Gaudet

  • Amy Kneller

  • Adam Kunis

  • Kavan Kumar

  • Chelsea McGonigal

  • Thivya Viswanathan

  • Kaitie Worobek

Symphony Tourism Services, a subsidiary of TOTA

  • Kelly Galaski

  • Terrina Barsalou

 

Mentorship Program

Industry support is essential to help up and coming tourism professionals achieve success as they journey down the path of their career. Over 6 weeks, mentors connected with budding tourism professionals to share career insights and encouraging words, resulting in +50 hours of mentorship, followed by 3 weeks and +125 hours of job shadowing or practicum time.

 
 

Job Fair & Open House

The virtual Job Fair & Open House introduced program participants to 20+ potential employers in the Thompson Okanagan Tourism industry.

 
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
Previous

Shifting to Step 3 of BC Restart Plan: Resources for Tourism Businesses
Next

Rise of Organic Viticulture in the Okanagan