A hospitality industry programme that trains and upskills hospitality workers while they are still employed is proving to be a huge success.
Springboard was launched in December to support businesses, mainly in hard-hit regions, that don’t have the time or money to train and upskill their staff.
It was the brainchild of Hospitality New Zealand and was co-designed with the Ministry for Social Development to support operators with wage supplements and course fees through the Covid recovery phase to build a resilient and capable domestic workforce.
It has a strong focus on courses in areas of the greatest skills shortage, including chef training, management, and accommodation, and offers short entry-level courses and certifications as well as leadership training and up to NZQA Level 4 modules in cookery.
Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Julie White says the pilot programme, which filled 70 places, has been completed with “rave” reviews, and they are now moving to Round 2, which has places for 160 staff.
“Springboard has been a great success. Businesses who put workers through a training course via Springboard are telling us it has been a real lifesaver for both them, the staff who are trained, and staff they work with.”
One such success is at Suncourt Hotel & Conference Centre, in Taupo, where general manager Chrissy Simmen says with the help of Springboard she was able to engage a local hospitality training company to run courses for nominated staff and then extend it to all 40 staff.
She says: “It was extremely beneficial. When we got the opportunity, we didn’t hesitate and would like to continue doing it. I would now never run without a hospitality trainer because it’s very hard to do it in-house for the managers, who have to find the time and the energy and the format to present it. The staff loved it. There were benefits from both a time and a money point of view for us. The way Springboard brought in training for our staff was just huge.”
In Wanaka, Brona Parsons, owner of Federal Diner, is putting her sous chef of six years through a leadership course thanks to Springboard. She says: “This is about focusing on the team and how it’s structured and where everyone fits in. We’re always busy, cooking, so it’s good to think about the strengths of your team and getting them to work to those strengths. It’s about getting her thinking more about the business rather than just about cooking, and getting the food out, and ordering. She’s passing stuff back to me and the staff about the practical implications of what she’s learning, making things more efficient. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without Springboard because every hospitality business is struggling right now, and it allows us to give her the time to train and then to implement it – it’s been amazing.”
Another is Jeanine Gribbin, owner of Boho Cafe, in Palmerston North, who has put her young manager through a leadership course. She says: “Springboard presents the most amazing opportunity. The flexibility the course offers means we can target the right training for her, and support her to achieve the best outcomes, and in turn we can implement concrete actions – a practical way to help our people and the business grow and thrive. We are becoming a team of well trained and talented people, with a passion for hospitality and learning. We still have a long way to go and at times it can seem daunting, but the future for us is looking positive.”
Julie says it’s clear Springboard is paying off for business and staff, and she’s looking forward to seeing what benefits the bigger Round 2 brings.
“Springboard is having great spinoffs, in that the training and skills it’s fostering is rubbing off on owners and other staff.
“Such has been the success, some businesses are also going above and beyond in supporting their employees on the programme and committing to courses that extend beyond the cost and duration of the Springboard programme.
“Covid fatigue is affecting our industry, and part of this programme is providing mental health and wellbeing support to both employers and employees.
“At a time such as this, when everyone in our industry is under pressure, Springboard is really proving its worth, and Hospitality New Zealand will continue to fully support it.”
