A total of 130 new apprenticeships are being offered by Thomson and First Choice this year.
The Tui UK & Ireland operators have been recruiting and retaining apprentices aged 16 and over for 25 years.
They have trained more than 7,000 people so far, recruiting young people through a number of channels including Job Centres, schools and colleges.
More than 175 successful apprenticeships and advanced apprenticeships were completed last year, with these numbers set to rise as vocational training interest continues to grow.
Thomson and First Choice have more than 220 apprentices at any one time, with the vast majority completing Level 2 Intermediate training and going on to achieve a Level 3 Advanced qualification.
Besides a certified qualification, the apprenticeships also offer a GCSE equivalent in mathematics and English, personal learning and thinking skills, and a wide variety of technical knowledge.
Tui UK & Ireland HP director Caroline Kitcher said: “The apprenticeship scheme forms part of our commitment to recruit real talent to the travel industry.
“We are offering great career opportunities with strong prospects for the future. Employability, personal training and thinking, technical knowledge, resilience, coping techniques, team work, communication skills – these are all of the tools that our apprentices will gain through our training.
“We have found that apprentices are highly motivated, quick to learn and eager to achieve within their roles, working collaboratively within their teams.
“Many apprentices are often at assistant manager level in one of our retail shops by the time of apprenticeship completion. As well as gaining a recognised travel qualification, the skills that our apprentices learn are vital both in the workplace and in life.”
Last year’s advanced apprentice of the year, Stacie Guiel, joined the business in June 2011 as a 17-year-old retail apprentice. She showed dedication and commitment throughout her two-year training programme to gain four distinctions in City & Guilds travel destination exams.
Based on her service, sales results and great winning behaviour, she is now a travel advisor.
She said: “When the opportunity for an apprenticeship in travel services with Thomson and First Choice came up, I took it. An apprenticeship within the travel industry appealed to me because you get to do the job itself while learning, so you gain the knowledge whilst also having the experience to support it.”