The high turnover rate with hotel and hospitality employees in larger cities has garnered the attention of the Medicine Hat Accommodation Association, an organization in Medicine Hat that focuses on marketing initiatives that draw visitors to the city for the purpose of staying in hotels.  

In knowing how valuable front desk team members are for the visitor experience, Elisha Ammann, who is the executive director of Medicine Hat Accommodation Association, says they have partnered with the Medicine Hat College to create a custom program to elevate the skills of their front desk employees, that’s partially funded by Jobs, Economy and Trade.

“This could be a template for other communities on how you can use your local educators and institutions to help keep your people locally." - Elisha Ammann.

Ammann has worked with the organization for over 20 years, and around 15 years ago they went forward with a similar project that was a success. It seemed timely to conduct another to show employees how valued they are, and to update employees skills, knowledge, and education. 

“Medicine Hat is known for being really friendly and welcoming, and this program will keep staff engaged and show them that we value them,” says Ammann. “We want to make sure they are given the tools they need to continue to do their jobs well and efficiently.”

Front Desk Fundamentals will cover items that are fitted into the day-to-day tasks, from communications, to writing skills, applying artificial intelligence, and more essential skills that will help employees work efficiently and confidently. 

“It also gives employees an opportunity to improve if they’re looking to be promoted or take on a management role," says the executive director. “There’s a staff member who went through the program over a decade ago, and they still talk about how impactful it was and how much they enjoyed it.”

The training will be in the classroom, along with in the workplace. The instructor will ensure the bookwork is translating to the hands-on tasks and that the program is effective and easily applied on the job.

“It’s really important that we make sure this works. There is a plan to follow up with employees down the road to see what is working for them and what we can improve on for the next roll out.”

There are two cohorts of 15 people. The class size is intended to be smaller, so it’s more personal and employees feel heard and included with questions and conversations throughout the experience. 

Ammann says for the Medicine Hat College to be on board from the beginning, create a custom eight-week program to start in September 2024, and offer instructors to teach, is extremely appreciated and will enhance the employee learning experience. 

“This could be a template for other communities on how you can use your local educators and institutions to help keep your people locally,” she says.

For those who complete Front Desk Fundamentals, a ceremony will take place with family and friends and a presentation of the certificate, “this is not a small endeavor. It’s eight weeks and is on top of their other job work. This is a real accomplishment and will further their career.”

Front Desk Fundamentals is partially funded by Jobs, Economy and Trade through the Workplace Essential Skills Training.