Expanding on the success of the 2022–23 pilot program, the South Coast Centre of Excellence, a $1.4 million campaign to encourage young people, First Nations Australians, seniors and people living with a disability to pursue a career in tourism is being rolled out across regional NSW.
Funded by the Albanese Government and delivered by Destination NSW, the Choose Tourism NSW Program addresses industry workforce shortages by encouraging Australians to pursue a career in the visitor economy while helping operators to attract,
retain and upskill staff.
The rollout includes five diverse initiatives to help bolster the tourism sector workforce in regional areas including a schools’ program, targeted career promotion, vocational webinars, mentoring by industry leaders and professional development events. The Choose Tourism Grant Program funding will also support a partnership with TAFE NSW to develop bespoke visitor economy training programs.
Destination Southern NSW and Destination Sydney Surround South are part of the Project Team supporting Destination NSW with the delivery of the Choose Tourism NSW Program.
Professional Development Day – Queanbeyan
Destination Southern NSW’s General Manager Richard Everson and Industry Development Manager for the Southern Tablelands Kylie Bushby were excited to participate in the first Destination NSW – Choose Tourism NSW Program, ‘Employer of Choice’ Professional Development Day, held in Queanbeyan.
Listen to key takeaways and discover why tourism operators found this event extremely valuable via this short video below.
Tourism Hospitality Experience Schools Day – Jamberoo
Destination Sydney Surrounds South’s Industry Development Manager Aaron Matis joined 12 schools from across the Illawarra region for the Tourism Hospitality Experience Schools Day in Jamberoo.
Discover the valuable information provided to the students, the key takeaways shared by the participants and how they anticipate that program will positively impact their future career choices within the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Find out more about the Choose Tourism NSW Program here.
Click the following links to find out more about the Centre of Excellence Stage 1 and Stage 2 Business Case projects.