Survey: Trained, Educated Workforce Important to Calgary's Expanding Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Job candidates with post-secondary training have competitive advantage, especially for positions at historical/education attractions and in sales & marketing

CALGARY, Oct. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - According to a recent survey commissioned by DeVry Institute of Technology, 84 per cent of Calgarians believe that employees with post-secondary training are important to growing Calgary's tourism and hospitality industry.

The Conference Board of Canada has projected Calgary to lead Canada's major metropolitan centres in visitor and tourism spending for 2012. The organization forecasted overnight visits to grow by four per cent over last year's numbers and tourism spending to rise by six per cent.

These numbers correspond with Calgarians views on the importance of the city's tourism and hospitality industry. DeVry's survey found that 95 per cent of Calgarians believe expanding Calgary's hospitality sector is important to the city's economic growth.  Calgarians cited historical/education attractions and sales and marketing as the tourism and hospitality sector segments requiring skilled, educated employees the most.

"The findings of this survey reinforce what we have known for awhile now - Calgary is increasingly becoming the premier tourism and business travel destination in Canada," said Joseph Clohessy, general manager of the Calgary Marriot Hotel and past-chair of the Calgary Hotel Association. "Visitors to our region, and Calgarians themselves, have high expectations of the level of service they receive from our city's hospitality industry."

As Calgary's tourism and hospitality industry has grown, so has the importance of having a trained and educated workforce. Eight in 10 Calgarians believe that job candidates with post-secondary training have an advantage over candidates without post-secondary training when applying for positions in the tourism and hospitality industry.

"We are encouraged to see that Calgarians understand the importance of having a trained and educated workforce in an increasingly important sector of the local economy," said Ranil Herath, president of DeVry Institute of Technology. "We recognize that Alberta post-secondary institutions need to increase their program offerings for students who want to develop the skills and knowledge needed to build a career in this field."

DeVry recently opened enrollment for its online advanced diplomas in hospitality management and sales & marketing. Classes for both programs begin in November and will give students the ability to earn a diploma in 10 months, allowing them to enter the workforce faster than if they completed a one or two year diploma program.

Courses from DeVry Institute of Technology's advanced diploma programs have been granted approval for credit transferability to DeVry's Bachelor's in Business Administration degree program and bachelor's programs at multiple Alberta post-secondary institutions. Further benefiting those looking to enter the business side of hospitality and tourism, the Canadian Institute of Marketing (CIM) has granted its professional accreditation to DeVry's advanced diploma in sales & marketing program.

"Combined, DeVry's two new advanced diploma programs provide organizations with two distinct areas of expertise needed to meet business needs," said the Marriot's Clohessy. "Graduates from the hospitality management program provide the general hospitality needs that drive the industry, while graduates from the sales and marketing program apply the skills associated with achieving CIM professional designation to drive the growth of tourism and hospitality in Calgary."

Leger Marketing conducted the online survey of 500 Calgarians 18 years of age and older in September 2012. DeVry Institute of Technology commissions quarterly career and higher education-related surveys to provide the Calgary community with insight into trends that impact local and provincial economies.

About DeVry Institute of Technology 

DeVry Institute of Technology in Alberta is part of the DeVry University system, one of the largest degree-granting higher education systems in North America, with more than 76,000 students enrolled in the United States and Canada. At more than 95 locations, DeVry University delivers practitioner-oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs, onsite and online, that meet the needs of a diverse and geographically dispersed student population. DeVry Institute of Technology offers degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Electronics Engineering Technology and Network Communications Management. In Canada, the government of Alberta grants approval for baccalaureate degrees awarded by DeVry Institute of Technology. In the United States, DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, www.ncahlc.org. DeVry University, a part of DeVry Inc. (NYSE: DV), is based in Downers Grove, Ill.  For more information about DeVry Institute of Technology, find us on Twitter @DeVryCalgary or visit www.devry.ca.

SOURCE: DeVry Calgary

Neil Babaluk
NATIONAL Public Relations
[email protected]
403-531-0331

Dan Dement
DeVry University
[email protected]
619-618-9785