Hays Travel owners John and Irene Hays and five of the company’s apprentices have met prime minister Boris Johnson to discuss their work and the future of the industry.
The bosses and apprentices of the travel agency chain were invited to meet the prime minister at his cabinet meeting in Sunderland, home of Hays Travel’s head office, on Friday, the day the UK left the EU.
The visit came just ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from today until Friday, February 7, and coincides with the company’s drive to recruit 669 additional travel consulting apprentices across the UK and 30 further apprenticeships in various departments at the company’s head office.
For the first time the company is recruiting in Scotland, northern Ireland and Wales, as well as England, following its takeover of former Thomas Cook shops three months ago.
More: Hays Travel recruits for hundreds of travel agent apprentices [Jan 20]
Hays Travel to recruit 1,500 more staff [Nov 19]
Q&A: John and Irene Hays on Thomas Cook shops deal [Oct 19]
The apprentices talked to the prime minister about the company’s social media and online distribution channels and personal service in its 700 UK branches.
The apprentices, pictured left to right, were: Eden Smith, Emily Adams, Aaron Petty, Bethany Meir and Hannah Forest.
John and Irene Hayes also attended the meeting at Sunderland’s National Glass Centre. Irene said: “We are very proud of our apprentices and delighted they had the opportunity to talk to the prime minister about their work and the future of the travel industry, which they are very much at the heart of.
“Our apprentices bring huge value to us, and they gain a huge amount from their training, with a permanent job at the end of it and a route into a career in the travel industry. We aim to develop our apprentices to their full potential and some of them, like many of our senior managers who started with us as apprentices, will end up as leaders in the industry.”
The company’s retail apprentices take a two-year apprenticeship programme to start their career in travel. Head office apprentices complete a one-year apprenticeship programme, working towards a Level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship.
Hays Travel is also holding open evenings at some of its branches this week for would-be apprentices.
Podcast: John and Irene Hays