Evaluation of Tourism Training programme: final report

Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway’s (SEDG) tourism training programme consisted of 10 separate training schemes, providing subsidised places for staff employed in tourism businesses. The evaluation aimed to assess: the impacts and benefits of SEDG’s tourism skills programme; the current and future training and skill development needs of the area’s tourism businesses; and data on current and expected hard-to-fill vacancies, the reasons behind these and how companies plan to overcome these.

The methodology consisted of: 22 face-to-face, 23 telephone, and 24 postal interviews (sample of 69%) with participating companies.

The programme attracted almost 1000 trainees to the 10 types of courses offered, with a subsidy per trainee of approximately £64. Finds that the courses provided a good match to users’ training needs, with management and higher end courses scoring highest. Notes that SEDG’s performance in administering and delivering the courses was rated very highly. 97% of businesses reported benefits, but found difficulty in valuing benefits received. Reasons that would prevent businesses training in future were the timing, cost and location of courses. Awareness of the Tourism Forum is low. Market failure does not exist to any significant extent in the tourism training market. Suggests that companies are aware of market needs, and the link to good training. Highlights increasing difficulties in labour recruitment and retention, but notes that companies are unwilling to address the fundamental problem of low wages.

Favours a more market led approach to tourism training. Recommends that future evaluations concentrate on the business performance of programme users relative to non-users in the area. Advises that SEDG undertake an annual survey of visitors to the area to measure visitor satisfaction levels. SEDG should consider a tradeable voucher scheme for future tourism training, ensuring SEDG would only pay for training undertaken. If the voucher scheme goes ahead, suggests that one year’s notice is given to allow trainers to adjust and for a market clearing mechanism to be set up.