Manitoba Tourism Education Council

What Manitoba Tourism Education Council does

The Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC) is a non-profit sector council founded in 1989 and headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that provides workforce training, professional certification, and compliance education to Manitoba's tourism, hospitality, and retail industries. MTEC delivers training through three channels — a physical classroom training centre at 75 Scurfield Boulevard in Winnipeg, an online learning management system with employer-managed business accounts, and ZOOM virtual sessions — with a catalog spanning food handler certification, customer service excellence, retail loss prevention, leadership development, event planning, WHMIS, and specialized safety content (armed robbery response, fentanyl exposure protection, personal safety). The organization has accumulated over 30 years of proprietary training content and holds trademarks including Clean It Right, Manitoba Service Excellence, and Manitoba Ambassador, and is also Manitoba's exclusive distributor of CTHRC's emerit certification covering 40+ occupational standards.

MTEC operates under a hybrid revenue model combining provincial and federal government grants — through Manitoba's Department of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation and the federal Labour Market Development Agreement's Sector Council Program — with course fees and certification material sales. Fee-based offerings include Food Handler Certification at $85+GST, challenge exams at $40+GST, and paid workshops in the $99–$300+GST range, but the majority of training is delivered complimentary to Manitoba businesses, effectively subsidized by government funding. Target customers span large hospitality enterprises (Sparrow Hotels, Fairmont Winnipeg, Sandman), retail chains (Canadian Footwear), gaming and healthcare employers (Manitoba Lotteries, Vita Health), non-profits (United Way Winnipeg), SMBs (Moon Gate B&B, Little Details Gift Shop), and individual job seekers connected through MTEC's hosted job board. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with Shannon Fontaine serving as CEO.

MTEC holds a regulatory role as the authorized contractor for Manitoba Health's Food Handlers Certification Program, administers Food Handler exams, and co-develops safety content with the Winnipeg Police Service. Its product IP is exportable: the pandemic-era Clean It Right program has been licensed to tourism associations in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, and New Brunswick. The affiliated Manitoba Tourism Education College delivers post-secondary hospitality training, while the Shirley Tillett Scholarship Fund supports student bursaries, collectively positioning MTEC as Manitoba's central hub for tourism-sector human capital development.

Name

Manitoba Tourism Education Council

Legal name

The Manitoba Tourism Education Council

Website

https://mtec.mb.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC) is a Winnipeg-based non-profit sector council founded in 1989 that delivers workforce training, certification, and compliance education to Manitoba's tourism, hospitality, and retail employers, distributing emerit national credentials and Manitoba Health's Food Handler Certification provincially.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Training Course Fees: MTEC charges fees for various training courses including Food Handler Certification ($85+GST), challenge exams ($40+GST), and workshop sessions. Some courses are offered complimentary while others have regular pricing (e.g., $99-$300+GST). Revenue is generated through participant registration fees for both classroom and online training.
2. Government Funding: MTEC is funded provincially through Manitoba's Department of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation and federally through the Sector Council Program contribution via the Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA).
3. Certification and Materials Sales: Sale of emerit professional certification exams, workbooks, trainers' guides, and National Occupational Standards documents. Also includes sale of print manuals for business planning ($85).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MTEC is a Manitoba-based non-profit sector council that delivers training, certification, and professional development programs for the tourism, hospitality, and retail industries. It is Manitoba's exclusive distributor of the emerit national tourism certification system and offers classroom, online, and ZOOM-delivered courses covering food handler certification, customer service, leadership, safety, business planning, and event planning. The organization is funded by provincial and federal government programs while charging fees for select courses and certifications.

Product overview

Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC) operates as a training and education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of training programs and certifications for the hospitality, tourism, and retail industries in Manitoba. The organization provides a multi-format training ecosystem including classroom-based courses, online video training, and ZOOM virtual sessions. Core offerings include the emerit certification platform for hospitality professional credentials, the Business Plan Development Series with associated online planning tool, customer service excellence programs (Manitoba Service Excellence, Winnipeg Ambassador, Manitoba Ambassador), compliance certifications (Food Handler Certification, WHMIS Training), and specialized safety training (Armed Robbery Response, Fentanyl Protection, Retail Theft Prevention, Crime Safety Strategies). Additional programs cover business skills, personal development, leadership development, event planning, human resources, and experiential tourism. MTEC also offers the Clean It Right enhanced cleaning program developed during COVID-19. The organization partners with Manitoba Health for provincial food handler certification and works with Winnipeg Police Service on safety-related training content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Manitoba Service Excellence: Online training program focused on customer service excellence for Manitoba businesses.
• Clean It Right
• emerit
• Manitoba Ambassador Program
• Winnipeg Ambassador Program
• Business Plan Development Series

Products and services

• Business Plan Development Series A 5-part comprehensive training series for entrepreneurs to launch or expand a business, delivered in classroom and virtually via ZOOM. Includes access to MTEC's Business Plan Creator Portal and a print manual.
• emerit Training Solutions National skills training and professional certification platform for hospitality and tourism trades based on National Occupational Standards. Includes occupational standards, workbooks, trainers' guides, eBooks, and online learning for over 40 tourism occupations.
• Manitoba Service Excellence Online customer service training program teaching the impact of customer service on business success. Covers attitude, attention to detail, and customer-focused teamwork for Manitoba businesses.
• Manitoba Ambassador Program Training program enhancing knowledge of Manitoba's attractions and activities, enabling tourism staff to deliver outstanding customer service and create memorable experiences for visitors.
• Winnipeg Ambassador City-specific ambassador training program for Winnipeg tourism and hospitality workers.
• Clean It Right Enhanced cleaning program with four customized modules for Hotels/Motels/B&Bs, Restaurants, Retail Businesses, and Offices/Service Centres, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help regain consumer confidence.
• Food Handler Certification Manitoba Health-approved Food Handlers Certification Program. MTEC is an authorized contractor to deliver training, administer exams, and process certificates. Includes challenge exam option.
• Online WHMIS Training Online workplace hazardous materials information system training covering Canadian WHMIS 2015 (2020 edition) standards.
• Handling Difficult Situations Online training for employees, supervisors, and managers explaining safe ways of dealing with potentially dangerous situations and when to call 911.
• Retail Training Retail-specific training programs including theft prevention, loss prevention, and retail display/visual presentation.
• Business Skills Training Business development workshops covering professional skills like presentation skills, networking, selling, and workplace communication.
• Personal Development Training Personal growth programs including emotional intelligence, stress management, assertiveness, and resilience training.
• Event Planning Series 3-part and 5-part virtual event planning training series for event coordinators and planners covering administrative skills, event coordination, marketing, risk management, and human resources.
• Next Level Leadership Series Leadership development series for supervisors and managers transitioning to leadership roles.
• Experiential Tourism 2-Day Series 2-day series focused on experiential tourism concepts and implementation.
• Human Resource Series 2-day human resource training series covering HR management topics.
• Health & Safety Training Suite Suite of safety and security training programs developed with Winnipeg Police Service, covering Armed Robbery Response, Fentanyl Exposure Protection, Retail Theft Prevention, Crime Safety Strategies, Personal Safety Awareness, and Drugs in the Workplace.
• Keep Kids Safe Training Training on identifying and reporting child and youth exploitation, including human trafficking awareness for the hotel industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% employee turnover without proper training
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, notable and minor.

• Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTHRC develops national tourism training products and programs. MTEC is Manitoba's only distributor of these products, including the emerit National Occupational Standards and certification programs for over 40 tourism occupations.
• Winnipeg Police ServicekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinnipeg Police Service partnered with MTEC to develop safety training content including fentanyl exposure protection, personal safety awareness, armed robbery response, and crime prevention strategies videos.
• Hospitality Security ConsultantkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerA former WPS Sergeant and hospitality security consultant partnered with MTEC and Winnipeg Police Service to develop security and safety training videos for the hospitality industry.
• Better Business Bureau FoundationnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBB Foundation partnered with MTEC to develop an ethical decision-making course for post-secondary students, bringing ethics education into college classrooms across Canada.
• Tourism HR CanadanotableOthersNational organization providing labour market research and industry data that MTEC references for workforce planning and tourism sector outlook information.
• Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANB)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTIANB launched the 'Clean It Right' certification program in French ('Nettoyez-le bien'), licensing the program developed by MTEC for use in Nova Scotia.
• Hospitality Newfoundland & LabradorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHospitality NL launched the Clean It Right training program to enhance industry cleaning standards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• N.B. Tourism AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorN.B. Tourism Association launched Clean It Right certification in English and French for tourism operators in New Brunswick.
• Manitoba Tourism Education CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated institution providing post-secondary education programs for hospitality, tourism, and retail careers. MTEC refers job seekers to the college for career training.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• go2HR: British Columbia's tourism, hospitality, and food service sector council. go2HR operates the same workforce training, certification, and HR support model as MTEC, but for BC employers, making it the closest structural peer.
• Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS): Atlantic Canada's provincial tourism industry association and licensee of MTEC's Clean It Right program. Operates a similar sector-based training and advocacy role for Nova Scotia tourism employers.

Broad incumbents

• American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI): Major US-based hospitality training and certification body offering industry credentials, online courses, and textbooks that overlap with MTEC's emerit and customer service training portfolio, though at a much larger scale.
• Tourism HR Canada: National tourism human resource council (formerly CTHRC) that develops the emerit National Occupational Standards and certification products MTEC distributes in Manitoba. Operates as the upstream content owner rather than a provincial delivery competitor.

Others

• Skills Canada: National not-for-profit focused on skilled trades and technical careers promotion and training. Adjacent to MTEC's workforce development mission within hospitality and tourism, but oriented toward trades occupations.
• Retail Council of Canada: National retail industry association offering workforce training and resources that overlap with MTEC's retail-specific training programs (visual merchandising, theft prevention, customer service).
• Restaurant Canada: National association representing Canada's restaurant and foodservice industry, providing training programs and resources that overlap with MTEC's food handler, customer service, and hospitality training portfolio for restaurant operators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/manitobatorismeducationcouncil

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manitoba Tourism Education Council