Introducing VocMat

The Vocational Management Training for Tourism in Europe(VocMat) project brings together tourism organisations and highereducation institutions in England, Estonia, Iceland and Scotland toaddress the lack of management training in a specifically tourismcontext. It is developing a curriculum which will lead to a tourismqualification at senior management level, delivered usinginnovative methods to allow managers and senior managers theflexibility to integrate their learning with work and familycommitments. What?s more, the VocMat qualification will beportable, because it will eventually be accredited across Europe,not just in one or two countries.

Is there a need for another tourism training initiative?

VocMat?s research suggests there is.

The VocMat research report, available at http://www.vocmat.com/, confirms that while there areindeed growing numbers of training opportunities at entry and basiclevels, there is little provision beyond traditional postgraduatecourses for middle and senior tourism managers, regardless ofwhether they?re in the public or the private sector.

Yet management training and skills development is recognised asa priority by national and regional economic regeneration, tourismand skills bodies across Europe.

So what is VocMat doing about it?

The VocMat project started in October 2005.

Following completion of the research report and training needsanalysis which identified priority subject areas, over 40 tourismmanagers from the public and private sector in England, Estonia,Iceland and Scotland have taken part in a pilot of the first twomodules, Strategic Management for Tourism and Tourism Marketing,using the VocMat Virtual Learning Environment, supported by e-mailand web conference contact with the higher education partners ineach country. Feedback from the pilot group has been positive, andwill form the basis of a VocMat seminar to be held in February2007. It will also inform the next two modules, Human Resources forTourism and Operational Management, which will be piloted in spring2007.

At the end of the project, in September 2007, VocMat will havedeveloped a flexible curriculum for tourism management vocationaltraining which can be rolled out across Europe. Indeed ProjectManager, Liz Buchanan, has already received enquiries from highereducation and trade bodies outside the four existing partnercountries who want to get involved in this exciting project tobenefit tourism managers across Europe, and welcomes furtherenquiries.

The project has been funded with support from the Leonardo daVinci Programme through Ecotec Research & Cunsulting Ltd,UK.

The VocMat partners:

Enterprise Estonia

Icelandic Association of TouristOfficers

Icelandic School of Tourism

Pärnu College of Tartu University(Estonia)

Sheffi eld Hallam University(England)

The Robert Gordon University(Scotland)

Tourism Management Institute(England)

Tourist Board Training Ltd (Scotland)