Encouraging youngsters to spring into action

Encouraging youngsters to spring into action

Travel Weekly is throwing its weight behind a new initiative to attract more young people into the industry. Lisa James reports

THE WORLD of travel, tourism, hospitality and leisure is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK, currently employing 10% of the UK workforce.

In the next five years, it is predicted that one in every five new jobs created will be within this broad group.

But despite the rapid growth and range of career opportunities available, these industries have a long way to go in order to encourage young people to think about the benefits of working in such a field.

Research by Springboard UK, an organisation that provides advice for anyone wanting to pursue a career in these industries, shows that young people have outdated perceptions, many of which have been inherited by their parents.

Furthermore, when asked to name the main influence on their choice of career, most young people said work experience was top of the list. And parents admitted they would like to see more information and open days in schools to enable them to better advise and support their child.

With this information in mind, Springboard has joined forces with the Travel and Tourism Programme, set up in 1986 to provide support for teachers giving career guidance. The new initiative will use CD-ROMs and Springboard’s Internet site to deliver curriculum support to teachers. It also uses study packs, case studies so students can get an idea of individual jobs, information on course developments, direct links to industry partners and work experience. It has been backed by industry organisations, including Travel Weekly, British Midland and Thomas Cook.

Springboard managing director Anne Walker said: “The new programme is an exciting development for students, teachers and the industry. We have been able to build on the service provided by the TTP and combine it with our suite of activities directed at appealing to the student.”

American Express has been a key sponsor of TTP and has welcomed the initiative.

Amex vice-president and general manager of central Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa Michael Edwards said: “As an industry we haven’t always done the best job of telling our story. We want young people to be attracted by jobs in the industry. This new initiative means Springboard will be much more available to students.

“The joining of Springboard and the TTP is a great step forward. The TTP has endeavoured since 1986 to develop students’ appreciation of the industry. It offers them a unique educational experience combining their educational learning with exposure to the world of work at a time when they, their parents and teachers are making decisions about career choices for them.

“We want students to understand the service focus of our industry and its economic and cultural impact and obviously we want them to be attracted by jobs in travel, hospitality and leisure.”

British Midland managing director James Hogan said: “We want to see the TTP as really helping the younger generation become interested in the development of tourism and our role as industry players is crucial in supporting this. It is an exciting opportunity to educate schools, colleges, tutors, parents and children about the vast array of career opportunities that exist within travel and tourism.

“Our success as a business relies on us being able to attract, recruit and retain the best talent available.”

For more information, contact Springboard on 020-7497 8654 .

&#42 See next week’s Workplace for a full report on young people’s views of working in the industry.

What is Springboard?

&#42 Established in 1990, it brought together key players in the tourism, hospitality and leisure industry, to address serious concerns about the lack ofquality of people taking careers in these sectors.

&#42 Springboard was relaunched as a national organisation in March 1998 with Government funding.

&#42 It is a non-profit-making organisation and is funded by grants from major organisations. It is independent.

&#42 Springboard began with two employees in one office. Now it has 34 staff based in one national, five regional and 11 local offices.

&#42 It aims to be the first port of call for careers information, guidance and advice, helping to attract people of the right calibre to the industry.

&#42 The Travel and Tourism Programme is one strand of Springboard’s services. &#42 The others include: careers advice; annual careers festival every October; job fairs; work experience placements.

On the career path: travel and leisure companies want to be able to recruit the best candidates into the industry