Persons Invited to be Trained as Tour Guides

Persons interested in being certified as tour guides are being invited to register for the Tourism Product Development Company’s (TPDCo) upcoming ‘Tour Guide Training Programme’, to be held in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

Registration may be done by calling the TPDCo’s Ocho Rios office at 876-974-7705.

Training Manager, Ocho Rios Region, TPDCo, Cheryl Traille-Tennant, told JIS News that the programme is open to anyone who wants to become a certified tour guide, whether or not they are already employed within the hospitality industry.

“One of the prerequisites for persons wanting to participate in the training is that they have to be Team Jamaica certified,” said Mrs. Traille-Tennant, adding that Team Jamaica is the TPDCo’s flagship training programme.

She further informed that the training programme will be administered over six days – March 18-22 and March 25 – at a cost of $15,000.

“We have various topics that we [will] cover during the [period]. It includes roles and functions of a tour guide, historical facts relating to Jamaica, communication skills, tour group management, leading tour groups, report writing and of course customer service,” Mrs. Traille-Tennant added.

The Training Manager emphasised that the programme is very interactive and engaging, as participants also benefit from a practical component.

“We are not just limited to training persons in the classroom, we engage in taking them out to go see tour guides in action, for them to experience another tour guide who is certified and have experience in giving a tour,” said Mrs. Traille-Tennant.

She indicated that the final assessment is done via a bus tour, where participants are asked to conduct a tour based on the information they would have learnt throughout the course.

“We do not offer job placement for the tour guide trainees; however, what we do is we assist them in getting a 20-hour work experience. Oftentimes, persons might end up working with the organisation or at least they get hands-on experience that they can put on their résumé,” Mrs. Traille-Tennant added.

She informed that the Tour Guide Training Programme is offered at least twice per quarter for the different regions where a TPDCo office is located.

Mrs. Traille-Tennant also pointed out that trainers at the TPDCo have a combined eight years or more experience in hospitality training and include persons with international certification from Hocking College, the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations as well as the National Association of Interpretation, a tour guide training programme out of Colorado in the United States.

“So, the trainers are experienced, they have the know-how and we are just saying to persons out there, you might be a practising tour guide but you are not certified, here is your opportunity to join this dynamic training group where you can put your skills into practice and be certified, so that it will enhance your personal and professional growth and allow you to earn in an industry where persons are thriving daily,” she said.

The TPDCo is the central agency mandated by the Government of Jamaica to facilitate the maintenance, development and enhancement of the tourism product.