23/2/12

Northern Ireland outdoor providers can access discount customer care training in preparation for the busy summer season thanks to a special offer from SkillsActive, the sector skills council for active leisure, learning and wellbeing, in partnership with NITB and People 1st.

The two day WorldHost customer service training is developed by NITB and People 1st, the sector skills council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism, and designed for people working in any industry where the quality of front-line customer service is key to business success.

If you are currently employed in a private organisation in Northern Ireland within the tourism sector, then the cost of WorldHost customer service package could be as little as £20. This is thanks to funding from the Department for Employment in Learning in Northern Ireland negotiated by SkillsActive Northern Ireland.

The programme includes:

• WorldHost Principles of Customer Service 1 day programme
• WorldHost Ambassadors Workshop ½ day programme. To include Northern Ireland Product Knowledge tailored to the specific area of delivery
• Familiarisation tour of the specific area of delivery. This could be a walking tour or bus tour depending on the area
• Level 2 accredited qualifications for both programmes
• All materials
• Certificates and WorldHost pin badges

The support is available to a limited number of applicants for training received until the end of March 2012.

For more information on the WorldHost programme please visit www.worldhostni.com or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Active leisure, learning and well-being employers in Northern Ireland stand to benefit from the work of a new initiative developed by Sector Skills Councils (SSCs).

Collaboration groups enable SSCs to collectively lead on partnership activities and common issues that affect more than one sector. SkillsActive has joined three of these ‘cluster groups’, including the Tourism and Hospitality Cluster group.

SkillsActive in Northern Ireland manager Siobhan Weir says many jobs in the Northern Ireland active leisure, learning and wellbeing benefit from the expanding tourism industry.

“The Tourism and Hospitality Cluster group provides an important opportunity for SSCs to collaborate to benefit employers across tourism related sectors in Northern Ireland.

“Our first job is to coordinate the roll-out of World Host, a world-class training programme designed to raise the standard and delivery of customer service, which is 90% funded by the Department for Employment & Learning (DELNI).

“We’ll then move on to developing joint applications for the Skills Collaborative Fund.  This is a new fund that DELNI are currently developing and it will be loosely based on the Grant Innovation Fund (GIF) criteria.  DELNI will announce details of the application process in January with the intention of projects beginning in April 2012.”

SkillsActive is also actively involved with other tourism related partners and forums in Northern Ireland, such as the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Destination Fermanagh and the Activity Tourism Forum.