Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) and Batrus Hollweg International (BHI) Release Hallmark Trainer Competency Study

BOSTON, MA (July 25, 2005) – The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) and Batrus Hollweg International (BHI) today announced the release of "Blueprint for Trainer Development: A Customized Competency Model for the Hospitality Industry." Over 340 attendees at CHART's 70th Semi-Annual Hospitality Training Conference, held July 23-26, 2005 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers in Boston, Massachusetts, were the first to view a definition of the competencies necessary for success across a variety of roles in hospitality training.

"The Blueprint for Trainer Development study identifies the competencies of winners in the hospitality training profession," said Joleen Flory Lundgren, SPHR, FMP, vice president of human resources and training for Famous Dave's of America and CHART president. "The model provides a professional development plan for helping trainers grow and provide more value to their organizations."

"Trainers in the hospitality industry face unique challenges," said Linda Pharr, president and chief operating officer of BHI. "The competency model addresses these challenges and provides a development solution for CHART members and the industry."

Blueprint for Trainer Development provides a competency framework and outlines behavior by a trainer's level and role: Training Executive, Trainer Manager/Curriculum Developer and Trainer. The structure for the competency model includes three areas of impact: individual development, group influence and organizational impact. The study identifies and integrates distinctive hospitality business drivers and dynamics of these three impact areas:

Individual Development:	Credibility Currency: The purchase price of a place at the leadership table is credibility with operators. For training professionals, the stronger their operational credibility is, the more compelling their voice will be. Be the Brand: For training professionals, understanding the heart of their high touch hospitality brand and then interpreting the brand experience behaviors through every type of training program pays big dividends.
Group Influence:	Consistent but Diverse: Consistency of the brand experience is the key to success in the hospitality business, yet training for this consistent brand experience must be delivered in many locations, each with environments that are diverse in myriad of ways: regionalism, gender, ethnicity, educationally and generational. Direct and Indirect: Multiple locations spread across the country and around the world along with operational logistics require training professionals to work virtually through others as well as work hands on.
Organizational Impact:	Complications of Complexity: Hospitality businesses are among the most complex operations, with each local unit functioning as both a manufacturing and service delivery operation. As a result, the complexity of the role of training professionals is significantly intensified. They have to be able to address training needs that span food inventories, preparation, safety, and presentation to equipment operation, maintenance, and repair to customer reception, interaction, and satisfaction. Dollar Savvy: Understanding the way restaurants and hotels make money is crucial. Profit margins are slim and subject to risk from a wide variety of uncontrollable costs. Training professionals are challenged to maximize every training budget dollar. They must be exceedingly innovative and effective. They must be resourceful in tapping talent at all levels to enlist them in the training process.

The model for the Training Executive position includes 12 defined competencies with 93 supporting behaviors. The Trainer Manager/ Curriculum Developer position includes 12 defined competencies with 58 supporting behaviors. The Trainer model includes 9 defined competencies with 76 supporting behaviors.

The complete competency model for all three training positions with defined competencies, specific supporting competency behaviors and methods for putting the model into practice is available on the CHART website at www.chart.org. A copy of the white paper, "Blueprint for Trainer Development: A Customized Competency Model for the Hospitality Industry" is also available at www.chart.org.

For more information, please call (312) 405-2634, email lmarovec@ameritech.net, visit www.chart.org or www.batrushollweg.com.

About CHART

CHART is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit organizations dedicated to training in the hospitality industry. Members number over 600 and represent multi-unit restaurant and hotel companies. A typical CHART member holds over 10 years of training and human resources experience and impacts over 5,000 employees in 80 units. By helping trainers do their jobs better, CHART positively impacts millions of employees, customers and companies and the industry as a whole. CHART's mission is to develop hospitality training professionals to advance industry training practices and improve operational results by providing access to education, tools and resources.

About Batrus Hollweg International

Founded in 1969, Batrus Hollweg International (BHI) is the leading resource of assessment and development experts for the foodservice industry. BHI partners with organizations to achieve growth and increase profitability through customized, cost-effective systems to select and develop the best talent, tap organizational energy and focus teams on business results. BHI has the largest data base of assessment profiles for the restaurant industry and has conducted extensive research on restaurant jobs and the competencies necessary for success.