Firms' $2m to train World Cup workers

Businesses will be asked to shell out up to $2 million to help train their staff in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key yesterday launched a new essential skills' programme called KiaOraMai in a bid to bring between 7000-10,000 people in the hospitality, accommodation, transport, tourism and retail industries up to a minimum basic standard.

The on-and-off-the-job training, which is expected to take 200 hours to complete, is NZQA accredited and will be available from next month.

The Ministry of Tourism has put up $440,000 for the scheme but businesses will also be expected to pay $198 per staff member for the course, which will be run by private training institutes and businesses.

Steve Hanrahan, chief executive of the Hospitality Standards Institute - one of six training groups behind the programme, said there had been a lot of debate over setting the fee.

"Obviously it has to cover the costs but at the same time we were mindful that as soon as we went under $200 there was more support."

Mr Hanrahan said some of the initial pricing had not been viewed favourably but he believed the $198 fee represented good value for money compared with other courses of a similar nature.

Bruce Robertson, chief executive of the Hospitality Association of New Zealand, said businesses would be looking closely at the value the programme could add.

He said all businesses had to give their staff basic training and the KiaOraMai programme would ensure that it was given to a national standard. "It certainly looks like it will address some of the needs of the sector."

But Robertson said the length of the programme meant it would be limited to delivering on basic skills.

Retailers Association chief executive John Albertson said the sector certainly needed to increase the level of training it offered to staff.

Albertson said the course included two days of tutoring and that always cost money.

He also said it would make retailers think about training only those who would work for them long term.

The up to 10,000-person target does not include an additional 5000 volunteers who will also need to be trained.

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