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A high demand for cruise sales agents and reservation employees has been addressed with the announcement of a new traineeship program in Sydney today.http://www.itb-asia.com/press/media-services/accreditation/

Cruise Lines International Association Australasia (CLIA) and Apprenticeship Support Australia (ASA) have joined forces with Australia’s leading training provider, TAFE NSW, to launch a cruise industry traineeship program to equip new industry entrants with industry relevant, job ready skills to fill employment opportunities.

Peter Kollar, Head of International Training and Development at CLIA, said the alliance would encourage a more coordinated approach to attracting new entrants to the cruise retail sector and satisfy industry needs.

“With so many varied business models in the travel sector now concentrating on the lucrative cruise market, this type of program not only provides the people and skills to fill new employment needs in retail roles, but more importantly, is tailored specifically for each different business requirement.

“While the program is only available to NSW residents at this stage, it is designed to expand as demand increases”, explains Mr Kollar.

Andrea Poletti, Head of SkillsPoint Tourism and Experience Services at TAFE NSW said TAFE NSW is committed to providing industry relevant training to build the workforce of the future.

“TAFE NSW works directly with industry to design training that looks to the future and responds to emerging trends.

“There is a high demand for chefs, cooks, bar and wait staff, baristas, travel workers, and accommodation and hospitality managers, and to achieve the Australian Government and industry’s tourism 2020 targets, we need an additional 56,0000 to 152,000 jobs filled,” Ms Poletti said.

The program, which focuses specifically on cruise sales agents and reservations teams, starts with assistance from Apprenticeship Support Australia who will provide advice to employers, free of charge, to develop and maintain their apprenticeship program.

James Moran, General Manager of ASA said, “We will work with CLIA’s members to maximise the benefits available to them in NSW by providing advice on what incentives and training options are available to them, linking employers to registered trainees and providing mentoring services.”

Industry employers will be able to share information and advertise employment, apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities with school leavers on via the skillsroad.com.au jobs board. During the program, government assistance and tax rebates may be applicable for the employer, while at the conclusion, successful trainees will gain a Certificate III in Tourism from NSW TAFE incorporating the specific cruise knowledge available via the CLIA Learning Academy.