The Hospitality Workers Training Centre is preparing to welcome a new group of women to BEACON, our leadership development program for women working in the hospitality sector. Spots are still available for the upcoming cohort, beginning September 14, 2026.
BEACON is designed to help women move into open supervisory and management roles. The program also supports hospitality employers in developing and promoting high-potential talent from within their existing workforce, while strengthening workplace equity and leadership capacity.
Preparing women for their next career step
Many women demonstrate leadership potential long before they receive a formal title. They take initiative, support colleagues, help solve problems and remain calm when the workplace becomes busy. They understand the organization, its customers and the realities of its daily operations.
Moving into a supervisory or management position, however, requires additional preparation. Employees must learn how to communicate expectations, support team performance, manage workplace challenges and make decisions that affect both colleagues and customers.
BEACON helps women build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to make that transition. The program gives employers a structured way to prepare a promising employee for an available leadership opportunity.
Free leadership training with wage support
BEACON training is provided free of charge. HWTC also provides employers with a wage subsidy covering 32 hours of training.
Training is delivered one day per week for four consecutive weeks. This schedule allows participants to complete focused leadership development while continuing to work within their organizations.
Over the four weeks, participants develop practical skills that can help them prepare for a supervisory or management role. The program is designed around the realities of hospitality workplaces and the responsibilities employees encounter when they begin leading others.
Who can participate?
The upcoming cohort is open to women working for hospitality-sector employers located at Pearson Airport or in the surrounding Mississauga & Toronto area.
Employers are invited to nominate a woman on their team who demonstrates strong leadership potential and a clear interest in becoming a supervisor or manager. A strong candidate may already act as an informal team leader, help train new employees or regularly step forward when colleagues need support.
She does not need to have previous management experience. BEACON is intended to help high-potential employees develop the skills they need to move into the next stage of their careers.
Developing leadership talent from within
When an organization needs a new supervisor or manager, its strongest candidate may already be part of the team. An internal candidate understands the workplace, knows the customers and has established relationships with colleagues. She can bring that existing knowledge into her new role while developing the additional skills required to lead effectively.
Supporting internal advancement also shows employees that professional growth is possible within the organization. It can strengthen engagement, support retention and help employers build a more sustainable leadership pipeline.
For the nominated employee, participating in BEACON is an opportunity to prepare for advancement with the support of both her employer and HWTC. It also sends a clear message that her leadership potential has been recognized.
Spots are still available for September
The next BEACON cohort begins September 14, 2026. Training is free, and HWTC provides a wage subsidy for 32 hours of training delivered one day per week for four consecutive weeks.
If you are a hospitality-sector employer and are considering the women currently working on your team for promotion. If someone demonstrates strong leadership potential and is interested in becoming a supervisor or manager, BEACON can support her training and transition into the next stage of her career.
To learn more or nominate an employee, please contact Gerri at gerri@hwtc.ca.
