The Ready-to-Work Program: Opening Doors to the Tourism Industry

This case study looks at the impact and benefits that the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council’s (CTHRC’s) Ready-to-Work (RTW) program is having on businesses in Canada’s tourism industry, with special attention to the program in Saskatchewan. It explores how the RTW program affects the capacity of organizations to maximize their human resource potential and attract skilled and knowledgeable new hires into the industry. It also considers the program’s Keys to Success and its potential as a model for other Sector Councils.

Over the past 10 years, the RTW program has launched thousands of dedicated entry-level workers into the tourism industry—all of whom have had an immediate and often substantial impact on the bottom line of tourism-related businesses. Of particular importance to Saskatchewan, the RTW program introduces Aboriginals into the tourism workforce. Members of this under-used human resource pool might not otherwise have chosen tourism as a career option.