Pubic and private educational institutions are the key to supplying trained people for BC’s booming tourism sector, but they need industry feedback to keep programs and courses relevant and for that they rely on Industry Advisory Committees (IAC).
An IAC usually comprises a small group of industry volunteers who scrutinise new and existing curricula to ensure graduating students will have the basic skills business demands. Of the 30 post-secondary institutions in the province with tourism/hospitality programs, 20 have active, formal IACs that meet regularly and eight have informal networks of business leaders they consult on an as-needed basis.
Mike Adams is the owner and general manager of the Whitewater Ski Area, near Nelson, and has been on the Selkirk College Ski Area Management Program (SAMP) IAC for over a decade. He sees its job as not only giving feedback on the program but also providing “a broad overview of where the industry is going and what (it’s) looking for in the future and, more specifically, how does this relate to particular courses and what skills we need coming from the college”.
Although IACs can have a major impact (Adams recalls the Selkirk committee being heavily involved in a complete program revamp about 10 years ago), mostly their input consists of what Adams calls “tweaking” programs. Since that major change, for example, he says the industry has become more sophisticated and businesslike and the IAC has helped the program reflect that evolution.
Most IACs don’t require a big time commitment. Narissa Zouinati, director of housekeeping at the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel, has been on the Vancouver Premier College of Hotel Management (her alma mater, she graduated in December 2000) IAC since June, 2004. She says the committee meets for about two hours every semester to review programs and “brainstorm”. The IAC members also attend student “meet and greets” held each semester, events Zouinati says she likes for the contact with potential employees they give her.
Adams says the Selkirk IAC meets once a year for about a day and a half. During that time, the committee reviews any curriculum changes, discusses future directions with educators, and meets with students to hear their views and discuss work placement and practicum needs.
Zouinati also values the IAC meetings because they give her a rare opportunity to sit down with contemporaries from other hotels and “brainpick” best practices and industry trends. She sees IACs as “win-win” bodies for all involved.
Not only do IACs help institutions keep course content current, but also, as Selkirk instructor Bob Dodge points out, the “highly respected industry people” who usually serve become strong program advocates and help raise its profile.
Employers win because they know graduating students they hire will have the right mix of needed skills and also that they will be able to guide program evolution to reflect their changing requirements.
And IACs enable students to be confident that the education they receive prepares them for a smoother entry into the industry and that the knowledge they acquire will form a firm foundation for their future careers.
