Wine tourism training scheme first for Western Australia

16/10/00 The State Government has established Australia's first wine tourism industry traineeship scheme, to be trialled in Western Australia's South-West.

16/10/00
The State Government has established Australia's first wine tourism industry traineeship scheme, to be trialled in Western Australia's South-West.
Employment and Training Minister Mike Board officially launched the 12-month pilot Traineeship for Wine Tourism tonight at a function in the Holmes a Court Gallery, East Perth, attended by leading representatives of the State's wine and tourism industries.
Mr Board said 10 people had been chosen from applications to undertake the pilot, four of whom had been taken on by employers to finish their traineeship.
He called on other employers to show their commitment to developing a world class workforce by employing the remaining six trainees.
The training program is a partnership between the Department of Training and Employment, Jobs South West and the Margaret River Campus of the South West Regional College of TAFE.
It was developed over the past 12 months by the Wine Tourism Jobs Project Team, formed following commitments made by the State Government in the Department of Training and Employment's plan 'The Way Forward for the Western Australian Wine Tourism Industry'.
Mr Board said WA had a world-class wine industry and was a national, and possibly international, leader in designing training and employment services for a wine tourism industry workforce.
The pilot was an example of one of the many ways in which the State Government was supporting the needs of business and encouraging employment opportunities.
"The traineeships have been endorsed by the Wine Industry Association of WA and the WA Wine Tourism Council and I hope other industry leaders will join this partnership and help meet the demand for increased professionalism in wine tourism in WA," he said.
"The South-West region is becoming an important destination for overseas and Eastern States tourists and this is generating investment in the region.
"The State's wine tourism industry has grown beyond the stage where it can rely on casual or untrained labour.
"This traineeship takes into consideration the skills needed to work in an industry which does a lot more than produce wine. Many wineries also operate arts and crafts centres and provide accommodation.
"In accordance with this, the training program focuses on customer relations, sales skills, wine and food knowledge, promotion of associated wine tourism attractions and marketing."
Training is being provided by the Margaret River Campus of the South West Regional College of TAFE and trainees can either be employed through Jobs South West or directly through business.
Media contact: Tamatha Smith, 9222 9211


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