Tourism HR Canada and Ready, Willing and Able are happy to announce a partnership that will allow the two organizations to work together towards the common goal of increasing participation in the Canadian tourism workforce.
Tourism is a major economic force in Canada, employing over 1.7 million people including 500,000 youth, and generating over $88 billion in economic activity. Tourism HR Canada`s goals include improving the quality of the tourism labour force and assisting tourism employers in being more flexible to meet changing competitive demands.
In the coming decade, an aging population, along with other factors, will mean increased labour shortages in the Canadian tourism sector. Canadian tourism employers will need to look to under-represented labour groups to meet growing labour demands. Today, 12.3% of the tourism workforce report a disability, a number slightly lower than the average in the overall Canadian workforce.
This partnership will see Tourism HR Canada and Ready, Willing and Able work with employers to diversify their workforce, by finding ways to accommodate and increase labour force participation of people with an intellectual disability or ASD in the tourism sector.
Both organizations see great potential in the agreement.
"This partnership is important for a number of reasons," says Tourism HR Canada President Philip Mondor. "First, it promotes a group of potential employees from an under-represented labour group to employers who are having trouble filling positions. Second, and more importantly, it will help individuals facing barriers to employment find secure, meaningful work, improving their lives, the live of their families and loved ones, and the communities where they live and work."
"We are very excited about this partnership with Tourism HR Canada," says Don Gallant, National Director, Ready Willing and Able. Within this partnership we will explore opportunities to increase the employment rate of persons with an intellectual disability or ASD within the Tourism Sector across the country. We view the Tourism Sector as being a very positive and supportive industry, with much potential for increased employment for the people we support. We will be able to help employers secure valuable employees, and persons with an intellectual disability or ASD will gain needed employment. A win-win situation."
About Tourism HR Canada
Tourism
HR Canada is a national organization working for the tourism sector in Canada, a $88.5 billion industry employing over 1.7 million people including over 500,000 youth. The organization works to identify and address labour market issues in the Canadian tourism sector with main goals including: improving the quality and mobility of the tourism workforce and supplying tourism businesses with the labour market intelligence they need to plan for and overcome their current and future human resource challenges.
About Ready, Willing and Able
Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) is a national partnership of the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL), the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance (CASDA) and their member organizations. Funded by the Government of Canada and active in 20 communities across the country, RWA is designed to increase the labour force participation of people with an intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
For more information, contact:
Vince Accardi, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Tourism HR Canada
(613) 231-6949 x 236
Don Gallant, National Director
Ready, Willing and Able
(709) 437-1504
