London (UK), October 2007 - A record number of hospitality employees are downloading training in an online initiative by an industry membership body, the Institute of Hospitality, and learning provider Echelon Publishing. The Institute's Training Library offers over 400 downloadable training modules for use by trainers, managers, and supervisors. Each solution is proven to work under live training conditions in hospitality environments and comes with full instructions, exercises, and a feedback checklist.
The global membership of the Institute of Hospitality represents professional managers in the hospitality, leisure, sports, and tourism industries and promotes the highest professional standards of management and education. Areas in which the managers are employed include hotels, contract catering, restaurants, pubs, and clubs, as well as leisure outlets, theme parks, and sports venues.
The Training Library includes training modules on topics such as Communication Skills, Customers with Specific Needs, Impression Management, Customer Service Skills (all levels), Project Management, and Telephone Skills.
The solutions - priced at £5 - can be accessed by individuals using credit cards or at a discount by groups on a corporate account basis. "It's a modest price to pay for learning that's up-to-the-minute, proven and easy to access", says the Institute's Head of Information Services, Janine Mills.
"Since we began to focus solely on selected training, modules, uptake has increase by some 500 per cent. Most members who have used the resource pick and mix from the material available to put together training programmes for delivery by managers and supervisors to catering, bar, front of house, and housekeeping staff."
-œEchelon hosts, manages, and updates the library content for us, enabling us to focus on complementary online activities such as our digitised guides on food safety, health and safety, and business management."
Leisure is one of the UK's fastest growing industry sectors. Recent research indicates that the UK population is set to see an increase in the numbers of 15 to 24 year olds and 55 year olds. By 2010, the number of over 60s will have increased by 3.1 million, showing the increasing importance of the -˜grey' market, while certain sectors will benefit by attracting the younger consumer.
High disposable incomes, changes in consumer demand, and low inflation and unemployment rates are current factors contributing to the robustness of the industry, and these trends look set to continue.
Echelon has a lengthy track record of working in the hotel and hospitality sector and a developed understanding of the leisure industry's needs. Its consulting division has developed and managed customer service programmes on behalf of Sheraton, Rank Leisure, Holiday Inn, and Queens Moat House.
The company completed recruitment, selection, induction, and customer care training for customer-facing staff at the new St Pancras station in time for its re-opening as London's high-speed rail terminal in September 2007.
