Hotel employees whose hectic schedules or busy home lives don't give them time to attend professional development classes now have a new online alternative at Pan Pacific Vancouver.
Pan Pacific Vancouver General Manager Steve Halliday would be the first to admit that working in a Five Diamond hotel can be a real learning experience no matter what your position or experience. Now he's proud to say that's especially true of his hotel, which is the first in Canada to offer its 500-plus associates free access to online business and personal development courses.
Whether in the hotel's new eight-terminal E-Learning Centre or from their own laptops at home or on the road, Pan Pacific employees now have access to more than 100 courses in areas such as risk management, leadership development, customer service, sales and self development, as well as office programs such as Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
More than 100 employees have already begun the five- to seven-hour courses since they became available last month.
'This is an excellent way for us to re-invest in our employees and help them reach their potential,' said Halliday, who is also President of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts North America. 'In the hospitality industry, it's our people who really make the difference, so we're pleased to give them the opportunity to enhance their skills from home or from our 24/7 E-Learning Centre.'
Instrumental in the program's implementation process was the hotel's Manager of Education and Development, Adrian Schilke, who said the E-Learning model is ideal for the hotel.
'Activity levels in the hotel have always affected our associates' ability to attend classroom workshops,' said Schilke. 'This new on-line system is available anywhere at anytime, and associates can even stop and start the courses as they need.
Kimberlee LoCicero, Director of Pan Pacific Vancouver's People, Innovation & Education Department, said E-Learning offers an innovative solution for companies outside the hospitality industry as well.
'With people everywhere having less and less time to self delve, there's no question E-Learning is about to explode into the market place. It's also a great retention tool or any business.'
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