Beyond the Job Description: Building a Skills-Based Workforce

Presented by the Talent Development Experts at Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy

Imagine a tourism workforce that can pivot faster, perform better, and grow stronger—because it's built on skills, not job titles. Creating a skills taxonomy is a start, but real impact comes when it fuels strategy, training, and talent mobility across your destination.
For decades, organizations across industries—including tourism—have depended on job descriptions as the foundation for hiring, workforce planning, and professional development. But in today's rapidly evolving environment, clinging to rigid job titles may be doing more harm than good.

Talent development leaders at Learn Tourism are advancing a better way. By embracing a skills-based workforce model, organizations can build agile, inclusive, and scalable teams ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. The shift is not about eliminating job descriptions entirely—it’s about unlocking employees' potential by focusing on what they can do, not just what their title suggests.

Why Traditional Job Descriptions Are Holding Us Back

Job descriptions are often outdated and disconnected from actual work expectations. In tourism and hospitality, this gap is especially problematic as roles evolve quickly with technology, guest expectations, and market conditions.

Here’s where things go wrong:

• Stale content – Most descriptions are written once and rarely updated.

• Unrealistic demands – Requiring a decade of experience with tools that are only a few years old? It happens more often than you think.

• Barriers to entry – Rigid education requirements eliminate talented, self-taught professionals,  especially damaging in diverse communities.

• Stifled internal mobility – Employees can’t grow unless a job title permits it, restricting potential and innovation.

These pitfalls are more than inefficiencies—they're missed opportunities for organizations to tap into the full range of skills already within their reach.

What Is a Skills-Based Workforce?

A skills-based workforce focuses on what employees know and can do, rather than just where they’ve worked or what their title is. At Learn Tourism, we help our partners define and adopt a four-tiered skills framework:

1. Foundational Role Skills

These are the technical competencies essential for every role, such as digital marketing for a DMO manager or CRM systems for sales staff. They're curated by subject matter experts and evolve with roles.

2. Professional Skills

Soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence apply across the board. Learn Tourism provides enterprise-wide training tracks that address these universally essential capabilities.

3. Leadership Skills

These include coaching, strategic thinking, and decision-making. Our nonprofit academy develops unified leadership development programs for tourism organizations of all sizes.

4. Niche Skills

Think destination branding, sustainable tourism strategy, or AI in guest service—skills that are specific, emerging, or team-dependent.

This model supports scalability, sustainability, and mobility, enabling learners to see a clear path forward—whether advancing in their current role, pivoting laterally, or stepping into leadership.

The Real-World Impact of Skills-Based Learning

Tourism professionals who complete Learn Tourism’s training often say they feel more confident, better prepared, and eager to take on new responsibilities. For example:

“The program gave me additional resources and deepened my appreciation for what Lexington and the Bluegrass region have to offer.” —Ron Hall, Destination LEXpert Graduate

“Our education and workforce development initiatives have seen remarkable progress since partnering with Learn Tourism.” —Leslie Davis, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Why Tourism Leaders Love This Approach

Tourism leaders aren’t just building better teams—they’re seeing measurable returns:

• Smarter workforce planning – Learning and development investments align directly with real business needs.

• Higher retention – Employees see clear paths to grow and stay engaged longer.

• Inclusive hiring – By focusing on capabilities, not degrees, organizations access diverse talent pools and encourage equity.

Making the Shift to a Skills-Based Workforce

Here’s how Learn Tourism guides our partners in making this transformation:

🧩 Develop and Baseline Your Skills Taxonomy

Start by identifying the skills needed across your organization. Tools like ATD’s Talent Development Capability Model™ are great references. Then, run skills assessments to identify gaps and growth opportunities.

🧠 Embed Skills into Every Talent Process

• Hiring becomes more inclusive and focused on competency.

• Performance reviews evolve into skill-based evaluations.

• Training becomes a proactive tool for growth, not just a checkbox.

💻 Leverage Technology to Track & Elevate Skills

Use digital platforms to connect skills to opportunities and create personalized learning paths. At Learn Tourism, our LXP (Learning Experience Platform) includes real-time analytics, multilingual support, and API integration with popular CMS tools.

🌱 Foster a Culture of Continuous Learning

Make skill growth a celebrated part of your workplace culture. Recognize development milestones, not just title promotions.

The Future of Workforce Development Is Skills-First

In a sector as dynamic as tourism, a skills-first approach isn’t optional—it’s essential. Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy champions this model to help destinations and tourism businesses become more adaptive, inclusive, and resilient.

It’s time to shift your mindset. Start with skills. Build a smarter, more sustainable workforce. And make every training investment count.

About the Talent Behind the Training

What sets Learn Tourism apart is the expertise behind every learning experience. Both of our co-founders, Stephen Ekstrom and Sheena Works, are recognized members of the Association for Talent Development (ATD)—the world’s premier organization for workplace learning and performance. Their commitment to evidence-based instructional design, professional development, and inclusive talent strategies ensures that every program we build is rooted in the best practices of adult learning and workforce transformation. For destination marketing organizations and tourism associations, that means smarter training, measurable results, and a team equipped to lead the future of tourism.

About Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy...
Learn Tourism is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the tourism industry through innovative educational practices and professional development initiatives. Our mission is to harness the power of science, business psychology, and adult education to build sustainable economies and enrich the tourism landscape.