Benefits of E-Learning for the hospitality industry

Written by Amrita Bhalla, A.B Consulting

Tourism and travel now accounts for more than 10.2% of global GDP according to the 2018 Travel and Hospitality Industry Outlook released by Deloitte.  The hospitality sector is projected to sustain a 5-6% growth in 2018, highlighting the increasing need for a skilled workforce. As industry growth and competition increases, there is no doubt that hospitality professionals need to constantly evolve their skills, especially in the digital age. An organization’s commitment to employee development can have considerable reach and strategic value, both as a driver of workplace satisfaction and as a profit-enabling initiative.  “For the employee, e-learning provides a more flexible, self-paced system for the employee who must balance the demands of the being employee and learner. “ Angela Musgrove, Director, Peak Professional TCI Ltd., Turks and Caicos.

Given the 24/7 nature of some hospitality operations, learning “on the go” is a new reality. There are a plethora of e-learning solutions for the industry at different price tags. Here are three cost-effective ways hospitality HR professionals can build e-learning capabilities and enhance employee skills and career development without having to step back into a classroom:

• Partner with Lynda.com

This online educational platform teaches courses via instructional videos. Lynda.com offers its users just-in-time education – learning a topic if and when you desire. Lynda.com stands out from the many other online learning platforms because of its association with LinkedIn. Once a user completes a course they will receive a registered certification which they may link to their LinkedIn profile. The platform offers a variety of course to support operations, including: Leadership, Management, Marketing Finance and Accounting.

• Coursera

The Coursera site houses a variety of courses taught by top instructors from the world’s best universities and education institutions. Courses include recorded video lectures, assignments and community discussion forums. Upon course completion, each user receives a sharable electronic Course certificate. Coursera has a number of online learning solutions for the hospitality industry, for example: Hotel Management, Revenue and Distribution Management by ESSEC Business School; Sustainable Tourism by University of Copenhagen; and Brand Management from the University of London. The price of courses ranges from $29-$99.

• 3.Udemy

This website has created a marketplace for primarily free online learning solutions with an extensive library of over 80,000 courses taught by expert instructors. The Hotel Management Fundamentals program contains 14 lectures, ranging from how to build your personal brand to the core traits you need for success and how to handle complaints and guest recovery. Other lessons touch on building a career plan, understanding customer service, and how to stay productive. Additional hospitality related courses include Food and Beverage Services and Social Media Marketing for Hospitality.