Recognized throughout the province as a leader in the field of tourism education and training, the Canadian Tourism College can now add a new feather to its cap: the college was recently awarded the DIVERSECity Award for an outstanding commitment to making the celebration of diversity an integral part of student experience.
College founders and campus presidents Kim Beharrell and Gwen Donaldson have determined that teaching the value of diversity ranks equally with providing an industry-validated curriculum, dedicated professional staff, computer training and a pro-active counselling service.
“As the world becomes smaller, it is essential for everyone to have a sense of global cultures,” explains Kim. “Students need to appreciate the importance of diversity, not only to make communication easier, but also to cultivate respect and protect against the extinction of cultures.”
And by assuming a sense of global responsibility, the college is also imparting sound business practises. “Tourism today has become more than a search for rest and relaxation; it’s now a quest for knowledge. Travellers have become very sophisticated and this thirst for knowledge is evident in the growing popularity of learning, volunteering and cultural opportunities,” says Kim.
In order to capitalize on these opportunities, students at the Canadian Tourism College are taught to appreciate the value of diverse cultures in a very natural way. The students enjoy frequent international pot-lucks, where the food, culture, clothing and music of a particular country are celebrated, and the staff members – themselves a microcosm of the United Nations – are offered diversity related professional development opportunities.
But in addition to infusing the campus with a celebratory ‘global village atmosphere’ Kim and Gwen have also incorporated diversity into the very material studied by their students.
Canadian Tourism College attendees can choose to study First Nations’ cultural tourism at a groundbreaking one-day seminar held in a longhouse in North Vancouver; alternatively, they can opt to attend SuperHost Across Cultures Seminar, SuperHost Japanese Service Expectations or participate in the first fully certified work abroad program.
In fact, the College’s commitment to the value of diversity goes beyond the campus boundaries and extends into the heart of the community. A number of scholarships aimed at new immigrants – in combination with the college’s participation in multicultural job fairs and partnership with employment agencies targeted at new Canadians – have resulted in a range of inspiring success stories.
“Jean Claude, an immigrant to Canada, was offered a full tuition scholarship for a Golf Tourism Diploma, and now he is a proud employee of the Kananaskis Golf and Country Club in Alberta,” says Kim, highlighting one of the many instances where the college’s commitment to diversity has resulted in concrete results.
And by embracing diversity, Kim says the benefits extend well beyond cultural appreciation. She says that increased empathy, improved communication skills and better interpersonal skills are all offshoots of promoting diversity. Subsequently, Kim notes that employers reap a twofold benefit: they are able to hire staff members who are culturally sensitive, and they are also able to pursue new and emerging markets when they hire staff with diverse backgrounds.
Indeed, the college is using the DIVERSECity Award, which is proudly on display, as a reminder to continue to welcome students and staff from all walks of life, and enjoy the many associated rewards.
