P.E.I.'s tourism industry braces for ripple effects of Holland College program cuts
3 tourism-related programs are among the 8 that Holland College is eliminating
When Ricardo Salvini began his career in Prince Edward Island's tourism industry, it changed his life, he says.
Salvini enrolled in the hotel and restaurant management program at Holland College after moving to P.E.I. six years ago. Now he's the vice-president of operations for Rodd Hotels and Resorts.
"When I graduated four years ago, I was ready for the industry," he said. "I took a management role right after Holland College."
Hearing that the province's main community college is phasing out the hotel and restaurant management program — as well as others that feed skilled workers into P.E.I.'s tourism industry — was "devastating," Salvini said.
Holland College announced on April 11 that eight of its programs will be phased out because of a plunge in international student tuition revenue, and three more will be downsized for the upcoming school year. The news has caused concern for the tourism industry — one of the Island's biggest economic drivers.
Cuts to programs like hotel and restaurant management, marketing and advertising, and travel tourism and events will mean at least 100 skilled workers per year won't be available for the industry in the short term, Salvini said.
With four properties on P.E.I., Salvini said his company hires between eight and 12 students from Holland College every year. Now, it's bracing for the impact of not having those educated and trained employees available to hire.
"Without that skilled worker, it will demand more from the hotel business and training," he said. "When you receive a student with a good base, like the ones that come from Holland, you can focus more on management skills to train them in other things that will speed up their career."
'Great feeders for our industry'
The Tourism Association of P.E.I. shares Salvini's concerns about the ripple effects of the program cuts.
"We rely so heavily on those programs, and tourism is so important here on Prince Edward Island," said Corryn Clemence, the CEO of TIAPEI.
She said the programs at Holland College "are great feeders for our industry when it comes to skilled and knowledgeable workers," adding that the curriculum is geared around what the industry is looking for.
Clemence said she understands the program cuts are tied to the federal government's changes to student work permit eligibility, but that doesn't make dealing with the consequences of the decision any less challenging.
We've had some incredible international students that have come through those programs who are now big contributors in our industry and our communities, and valuable, valuable professionals for us," she said.
Clemence said the effects of the federal immigration changes are tougher in P.E.I. because tourism is so critical to the province's economy.
"We will be reaching out to the federal minister and deputy minister on those pieces and the eligibility criteria for that post-graduate work permit," she said.
For the time being, Clemence said TIAPEI is talking to provincial and Holland College officials about training programs that can be implemented in the short term.
It's also trying to wrap its arms around the students graduating from the programs while they still exist, she said.
Investment in the future of tourism
Earlier this week, Frances Gertsch sent a letter to Holland College's president and board of governors expressing concern about the program cuts.
"The tourism industry is just such an important, totally linked ecosystem," said Gertsch, a trusted senior travel advisor and manager of business development and talent at Stewart Travel Group.
Gertsch said she's been in the tourism industry for her whole career, but that's not the only reason she cares about the program cuts. She said she cares about the Island economy because she lives here.
"Supporting one of the most important parts of the Island economy is crucial, and I think we need to find a way to work together — industry and academia, hand in hand — to make that work," she said.
Holland College has said it's proud of the programs it offered, as well as its graduates, and is committed to working with industry representatives on their labour market needs.
As a former Holland College student himself, Salvini has a word of advice to those who are passionate about the tourism industry and still want to get involved.
"Don't give up," he said. "Stick with the plan, because hopefully things will change soon."
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With files from Sheehan Desjardins