ACI and Duty Free World Council partner in staff training and development drive

INTERNATIONAL. Airports Council International (ACI) World and the Duty Free World Council (DFWC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding that aims to foster a closer partnership for training of front-line and management staff in the airports and travel retail industry.

The strategic cooperation will include the hosting of DFWC Academy online training courses in ACI’s Online Learning Centre. This, said ACI and DFWC, will provide new staff training and advanced training for professionals in the aviation and maritime sectors and across brands in travel retail – all accessible through the same platform.

ACI Global Training and the DFWC Academy will develop other future joint education programmes that will benefit both organisations’ members, they added. The partnership aims to provide more opportunities for industry employees to access professional development and education, executive leadership, professional accreditation, subject-matter competency and training courses.

“Around 60% of aviation jobs are at airports and airports recognise the importance of commercial activities as job generators, such as retail and duty free,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “The airport community recognises that learning and development – how staff are developed, how they work, and how they are supported in their professional goals – is a key contributor to success and this partnership will help enrich this work. Working together with other organisations in our ecosystem will improve cooperation among the stakeholders and will help not only on the recovery of the industry but in forging the way forward into the future.”

DFWC President Sarah Branquinho said: “A lot of retail experience and expertise has, unfortunately, been lost and our industry will welcome many new staff members as stores reopen across all travel sectors, aviation and maritime.

“The provision of high-quality training programmes that will enable retail staff to deliver the best possible in-store experience for travellers and optimise revenues for our industries will be critically important. Our partnership with ACI on online training recognises the key role the duty free and travel retail industry plays in the broader aviation sector and reinforces an already strong and valuable cooperation.”

As reported in January, the DFWC suspended the activities of the DFWC Academy following the decision by its partner – the Institute of International Retail (IIR) – to place the company into voluntary liquidation.

Note: Entries are now being invited for The Travel Retail Superstars Awards, the first edition of an annual awards for travel retail employees across airport, airline, downtown store and cruise sectors. The awards will shine the spotlight on the thousands of frontline and behind the scenes heroes and heroines who have helped keep the industry going throughout 2020 and into this year.

Hosted by The Moodie Davitt Report, with support from digital, design and communications agency FILTR.Qingwa, this free to enter programme is run in collaboration with an advisory committee of human resource and training specialists. Click here for details or to make a nomination. For FAB Superstars, dedicated to staff in the food & beverage sector, click here.

The award winners will be announced during the Virtual Travel Retail Expo, which runs from 11-15 October. Click here for further details or to register.

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