Project Need
Alberta’s hospitality sector is one of the province’s largest employers of newcomers — hotels, restaurants, cafés, and resorts are often the first place newcomers gain Canadian work experience. Yet the sector is facing serious challenges that affect both employers and the newcomers they hire.
With nearly 11,000 job vacancies recorded in Q2 2025 and a 6.5% vacancy rate — the highest of any industry in Alberta — hospitality employers are increasingly reliant on newcomer workers. But many of these employers, particularly small and medium-sized businesses without dedicated HR departments, lack the tools and training to support newcomers effectively once they are hired. The result is a cycle of high turnover that is costly for businesses and unsettling for newcomer employees.
Project Overview
AWES is running a two-year project to help hotels, restaurants, cafés, and other hospitality businesses across Alberta do a better job of supporting the newcomers they hire. All resources are available online through the AWES eLearning Hub, so employers can access them when it suits their schedule — at no cost.
The core goal is straightforward: when employers are better equipped to communicate clearly, onboard effectively, and lead inclusively, businesses run better and newcomers thrive.
Benefits for the Employers
The employers will:
- Be equipped with practical tools and strategies to communicate clearly, support learning on the job, and create safe, welcoming workplaces that promote newcomer employees’ long-term career growth.
- Have access to modular learning opportunities — including live and recorded webinars, tip sheets, and eBooks — through AWES’s eLearning Hub.
- Be a member of an online eHub where you can connect with peers and AWES experts to share experiences, challenges, and solutions.
- Have the opportunity to increase your knowledge of newcomer needs and improve ability to respond effectively to those needs.
Who This Project Is For
This project is designed for hospitality employers across Alberta — especially small and medium-sized businesses without a dedicated HR department. That includes:
- Hotel managers and front office supervisors
- Restaurant owners and kitchen managers
- HR professionals in accommodation and food service businesses
- Café, resort, and catering business owners
- Anyone in the hospitality sector who hires, trains, or manages newcomer employees
Project Outcomes
Through this project, AWES aims to drive measurable improvements in how Alberta’s hospitality employers recruit, onboard, and retain newcomer employees — building a stronger, more inclusive workforce across the sector.
Enhanced Employer Capacity to Support Newcomers
Participating employers will gain practical knowledge, strategies, and tools to communicate more clearly with newcomer staff, design onboarding processes that work for diverse employees, and build workplaces where newcomers feel supported and are more likely to stay.
Improved Retention and Reduced Turnover
When employers are better equipped to support newcomers, employees stay longer. This project directly targets the high turnover cycle in Alberta’s hospitality sector by giving employers the skills to identify and address barriers before they lead to attrition.
Stronger Peer Networks Across the Sector
Through the Community of Practice, participating employers will connect with peers facing similar challenges across Alberta — sharing what works, learning from each other, and building a network of hospitality operators committed to inclusive employment.
Lasting, Accessible Resources
All eBooks, tip sheets, and recorded webinars will remain available on the AWES eLearning Hub after the project ends — ensuring the tools developed through this project continue to benefit the sector well beyond 2028.
Stay Tuned
Training dates and full program details are coming soon. This free training is available to all hospitality employers across Alberta.
Ready to join eHub for Hospitality? Here’s how! 👇
eHub for Hospitality is a free, online platform for Alberta hospitality employers — built to help you support newcomer employees with practical tools, expert webinars, and peer learning.
Signing up takes just a few minutes:
- Visit the link below (or scan the QR code)
- Complete the short registration form
- Get access to resources, webinars, and our community of practice
🔗 Register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/YXJYv6HNg4
Available at no cost to hospitality employers across Alberta. Spots are limited — sign up today!
Not the right fit for you? Share this with a hotel manager, restaurant owner, HR professional, or supervisor in your network who could benefit. 🙏
What members gain:
- Communicate more clearly with newcomer staff
- Build effective onboarding systems
- Strengthen team dynamics and retention
- Learn alongside other Alberta hospitality leaders
Information session details and links:
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
🕚 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. MT
💻 Online via Microsoft Teams
👉 Join here: https://lnkd.in/g9PAZGfy
📅 Add to your calendar:
- Google Calendar: https://lnkd.in/g8dzRpiy
- Outlook Calendar: https://lnkd.in/gNbmvHzC
In this session, you’ll:
✅ See what’s inside the platform — no guesswork
✅ Get your questions answered live by the AWES team