(Roswell, GA – June 18, 2014) — Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) announced to its members that the Venza Group is now an approved educational provider. The PCI Compliance as well as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) eLearning programs are pre-approved by HFTP and may be used as educational credits toward the renewal of the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) certification educational maintenance reporting requirements.

Further enhancing the association’s educational resources, members are now eligible to receive a discounted rate on pre-approved data privacy-related learning programs. In addition, the programs will also help CHAE and CHTP designees to satisfy their educational maintenance requirements. In order to demonstrate their continuing interest and proficiency, designees are required to submit a minimum of 60 educational maintenance points every two years in order to retain their certification. There are eleven modules available in the programs, including (but not limited to): PCI Compliance for Employees, PCI Compliance for Managers, PII for IT & Security, and PII for Guest-Facing Staff. The modules are part of the Venza Group’s PEAK® Series of off-the-shelf courses on compliance and workforce effectiveness.

“With widely promoted events such as the PCI Boot Camp held at HITEC each year, educating industry professionals on the importance of data security vigilance is nothing new for HFTP. Now, by providing their certificate holders and members access to eLearning programs, HFTP is boosting its commitment to the hospitality professional’s growth,” said Jeff Venza, President and CEO of the Venza Group. “And with 55% of credit card fraud occurring in the hospitality industry, the need is now greater than ever for hotels to take steps to protect themselves and their guests.”

Unfortunately, reports of data breaches affecting the hospitality industry are occurring more frequently; hotels are attractive and lucrative targets for hackers. Hoteliers can avoid the expense and negative publicity associated with data breaches by properly educating their employees, managers, and IT personnel. Therefore, the Venza Group’s PEAK® PCI Compliance and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) eLearning programs are worthwhile resources for anyone building a career in hospitality. And now, with the announcement of HFTP’s educational approval, their value is boldly acknowledged.

For more information, visit www.hftp.org.