In hopes of enticing students to pursue careers in tourism and hospitality, a panel of local industry experts assembled in the high school library to talk about job opportunities last week.
The panel, which presented to a group of Grade 11 students, consisted of Leigh Abra, director of marketing and brand development for Tourism Jasper; Tony Bielec, general manager of the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre; Pam Clark, manager of visitor experience for Jasper National Park; and Todd Noble, general manager of the Jasper Tramway.
The discussion was organized by the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce because there is a severe labour shortage predicted for the tourism and hospitality industry. The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council predicted in a 2012 report that there will be a labour shortage of nearly 7,800 jobs in Alberta by 2015. By 2030, that number jumps to 24,562 full-year jobs.
“Not just Jasper, but the entire province of Alberta and the entire country are suffering from severe shortages of individuals going into the tourism and hospitality industry,” Pattie Pavlov, general manager of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce, told the students.
She then asked, by a show of hands, how many of the students had considered careers in the tourism industry—not a single hand went up.
“Yikes!” she responded. “I’m hoping that at the end of this 40 minutes, it will be something that you will at least put into your brain and roll around in there and consider.”
To give the students an idea of the diverse backgrounds of some of Jasper’s industry experts, each gave a personal story of how they got their start and how they got to where they are today.
For Bielec and Noble it was the love of winter sports that drew them to the mountains and the tourism industry. For Abra, it was a love of travel and for Clark it was a desire to work in nature.
Each of the panelists started at the bottom, as cooks, servers, lifeguards or ski patrollers, and each of them worked their way up, either with the help of further schooling or just their own determination and commitment.
Following the presentations, Pavlov reminded the students that they are in a “prime position” to enter the industry and gain experience, as there are plenty of jobs available to them right here in their hometown.
Noble agreed, encouraging the students to get experience in Jasper while they’re still here and living with their parents.
“It’s an excellent opportunity,” he said, noting that the students shouldn’t underestimate the value of work experience.
To help the students to further their on-the-job experience, Pavlov is also offering them job shadowing opportunities with businesses within the chamber’s membership, and she will be bringing the Share the Spirit program to the high school, so that students can become certified ambassadors for the community.
That program, which provides participants with the tools they need to ensure each visitor receives the best possible service, is usually held at a cost, but the chamber and its partners will be holding it free of cost for the students in the spring.
Nicole Veerman
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