An online training platform by industry for industry that could be a game-changer for a hospitality industry beset by skills shortages in New Zealand has been launched this week by Hospitality New Zealand.
After an extensive global search, Hospitality New Zealand has secured Typsy to boost skills and capabilities of employees for operators and create tomorrow’s leaders.
Tyspy is an online tool with extensive hospitality training content that offers staff, from entry-level to middle management, a choice of courses covering the full range of hospitality categories – beverage, culinary, service, accommodation, housekeeping, business, management, compliance, and Covid.
It’s a partnership between Hospitality New Zealand and Typsy (tips made easy) and is exclusive to Hospitality New Zealand members.
It offers staff access to 1000 lessons that are delivered by videos ranging in length from five minutes to one hour. Staff complete all lessons and pass a short quiz to earn certificates. The courses are customisable by business owners who can set programmes to suit the skills they need, and then manage and track staff progress. Staff can access the courses on any device at anytime from anywhere.
Staff will have access to their own Knowledge Passport that will be updated as they progress through their training, and that will follow them as they progress through their career.
The platform can be accessed via a free app. The first year will be free for Hospitality New Zealand members.
Hospitality NZ chief executive Julie White says Typsy is a proactive initiative designed to build hospitality’s future workforce in response to the dire skills shortage caused by closed borders and the industry’s historical reliance on skilled migrants.
“It is like we are the forgotten industry by the Government. The Government is not seeing how big the skills shortage is in the hospitality industry, despite our best efforts, and how it is affecting and will continue to affect businesses’ ability to deliver the premium product and service they are renowned for the world over, so we had to do something about it.
“I’m very excited by this programme, which is all about future-focusing the industry to create better businesses with better staff and ultimately be a sector of choice for more New Zealanders.
“The great thing is it’s easily accessible from anywhere – in the city or in regions.
“It’s also wonderfully effective from an employer’s point of view, in that they can design their own modules to train the staff they need to build strong brand standards and they don’t have to have experienced people taking time away from their day-to-day jobs to show a newbie the ropes – because that’s part of the module they’ve chosen.
“It’s perfect for those newbies, who can learn hospitality and accommodation fundamentals in an instant, making speed to competency exceptional to improve industry standards.
“Our industry is staffed by many talented and dedicated professionals who have long provided on-the-job training that hasn’t been captured to add value to those who have chosen it as a career and also for those who transit through our industry by adding and upskilling soft skills. There are others who have fallen through the cracks during their education journey, including lacking even basic numeracy and literacy skills.
“Typsy will correct that gap with its modules that have been designed by experienced industry professionals.
“Being industry-expert led is key to what I believe could be a real game-changer for our industry.”
Members can register for Typsy via the Hospitality NZ website here: https://www.hospitality.org.nz/s/knowledge-hub