Southwest Virginia Community College’s Workforce and Continuing Education division, in partnership with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Tazewell County, is hosting a free hospitality training session.
“5-Star Service Hospitality Training,” will take place virtually on Monday, October 25, 2021. The goal is to help individuals provide exceptional customer service, increase their value in the workplace, use proper service etiquette, and bring better overall awareness to the local tourism industry.
Front line service workers, supervisors, and business owners will benefit from the workshop thanks to a variety of topics and speakers. Topics include tourism connections and doing more together, customer-centered care, dealing with difficult customers, service etiquette, and increasing your value.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, frontline tourism and service staff positions are in high demand and key to helping the region’s tourism economy continue the strong growth path it has been on in recent years,” said Randall Rose, Dean of Workforce and Continuing Education at the college.
Local support and incentives will also be discussed and presented to attendees.
According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the direct spending by domestic travelers visiting Tazewell County increased from about $50 million in 2015 to over $55 million by 2019. This spending includes food, accommodations, auto transportation, public transportation, incidental purchases, entertainment/recreation, and travel-generated tax receipts.
“There has been a resounding outcry from the tourism, retail, culinary, and service businesses in the area for Southwest Virginia Community College to train the current frontline workforce, but also to help with recruitment. This workshop is a key step in that direction. It’s a great time for those of any age to get into the workforce to increase income or to start a career in that ever-growing sector,” said Rose.
The workshop will be presented in a virtual format via Zoom, but registration is required with a limited number of free (tuition-paid) slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, made possible through the sponsorship of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. To register, please call 276-964-7244 or email workforce@sw.edu.