The tertiary education sector can play a greater role in helping the tourism industry achieve its 2025 goals, according to the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA).
TIA is welcoming the Productivity Commission’s review of tertiary education models, announced by the Government this week (Nov 3).
More than 50 tertiary institutions currently offer tourism and hospitality courses, including universities, polytechnics and private tertiary providers.
“The tertiary education sector is important in attracting the right people to the tourism industry and upskilling them. However, there are opportunities for the sector to play a greater role in supporting one of New Zealand’s biggest industries to achieve its Tourism 2025 goal of growing annual tourism revenue to $41 billion,” TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts says.
“Tourism supports one in every eight jobs in New Zealand. Our rapidly growing tourism industry requires many more people with the right skills to deliver outstanding experiences to both international visitors and New Zealanders travelling in their own country.
“We want to work closely with the tertiary sector and the Productivity Commission to identify the best ways to deliver tertiary education and training to tourism and hospitality students that meets the future needs of employers.
“We must ensure that students are getting the right skills and knowledge and that employers are able to access the people they need in their tourism businesses.”
TIA is developing a People and Skills Framework for the tourism industry that is due to be publicly released at the TIA National Tourism Summit on 19 November.
Among a range of actions, People and Skills 2025 sets an objective for tertiary education providers to work with the tourism industry to identify skill needs and training that support Tourism 2025 goals.