International visitors brought in nearly $17 billion in the past year alone, and total tourism expenditure has reached record-breaking highs. But behind the economic celebration lies a pressing issue: the hospitality workforce is shrinking fast. With enrolments in tourism and hospitality education collapsing by over 70% in the past decade, the industry faces a critical talent shortage. 

Scenic Hotel Group is confronting this challenge head-on, investing in its people and their potential by rolling out Hospo Savvy, a nationally recognised on-job training programme, to staff at every property across the country.

In partnership with ServiceIQ, Scenic Hotel Group is rolling out the Hospitality Savvy Award (Hospo Savvy) across all of its properties. This bite-sized, on-job training programme is designed to give new staff the essential skills and confidence to thrive in a fast-paced hospitality environment and it delivers nationally recognised unit standards in the process.

“With business booming across the country, we wanted to ensure all our team members, both old and new, have the right foundation,” says Craig Binney, Head of People & Culture at Scenic Hotel Group. “Hospo Savvy stood out because it delivers the key concepts our team needs in an accessible way and is a great introduction to working in hospitality.”

Covering customer service, food safety and health and safety, Hospo Savvy is completed on the job in 16 weeks or less. It’s a flexible induction solution that recognises learning already happening in the workplace helping new staff get up to speed fast and contribute to outstanding guest experiences.

“Starting any new role can be a bit daunting,” says Craig. “But with Hospo Savvy, we can make sure our team starts off with the skills they need. It gives them confidence, and it helps ensure our guests have a consistently high-quality experience.”

Photo: Craig Binney, Head of People & Culture at Scenic Hotel Group

Scenic Hotel Group has long prioritised learning and development, but this marks their first time rolling out a fully digital learning product that includes NZQA unit standards. Working closely with ServiceIQ, they ensured the implementation was seamless across their teams.

“ServiceIQ has been an awesome partner,” says Craig. “One of the biggest advantages has been having local ServiceIQ Advisors based all around the country. It means every one of our hotel properties gets personalised, on-the-ground support from someone who understands their region. I can't praise the team enough for their hard work.”

For other businesses considering Hospo Savvy or similar on-job training, Craig has simple advice:

“Training is one of those things that often gets overlooked, but it’s absolutely crucial. It’s not only about great customer service — it’s also a powerful recruitment and retention tool. If you’re unsure where to start, reach out to ServiceIQ. They genuinely care and make the process easy.”