Virgin Holidays managing director Mark Anderson welcomes the government’s focus on creating apprentice opportunities saying they are the ‘lifeblood of our industry’
Vince Cable’s announcement this week that the government has achieved its target of creating two million apprenticeships during this parliament was a welcome one.
It sends out a positive message about the UK’s future growth prospects.
A well-trained and committed workforce, which balances experience with a regular infusion of young talent, can only be good news as we compete in a globalised marketplace.
As an employer I am always on the lookout for schemes and initiatives which make it easier for me to bring in the most promising people to our business.
Since we announced the creation of 100 Virgin Holidays apprentices with our learning partner, the City of London Corporation, to celebrate the opening of our one hundredth shop, we’ve seen over 50 school leavers and graduates join us so far.
Across a variety of areas – from marketing to finance, HR to retail – they’ve combined work placement, with all of the benefits they’d expect as a full time member of the team, with time to study for a recognised qualification.
Not only has that meant we’ve been able to give dozens of young people a foothold on the career ladder at a time when the labour market for that age group remains tough, but as a business we’ve also benefitted from the new ideas and skills they can bring to complement those of our existing team.
Just a few months ago, one of the participants in the programme within our marketing department saved us a six-figure sum by identifying a technology solution to a challenge we faced, which we would have otherwise taken to an agency. A great example of new thinking making a positive difference.
And at the end of the 12-month apprenticeship with us, we’ve been able to keep many of them within the Virgin Holidays fold by giving them a job, or watch them take what they’ve learnt from us and feed the oxygen of ability in to the lifeblood of our industry elsewhere – with our blessing.
That may seem a strange thing for someone in my position to say, but a healthy industry is good for us all at the end of the day.
We’re totally committed to our apprenticeship programme, and I’m pleased to say have recently expanded it to include Traineeships and Higher Apprenticeships.
In doing so we are establishing a complete learning pathway for even more young people who want to build a career in travel.
I’d like to see as many other businesses, large and small, in the sector introduce their own and join us in sowing the seeds for the future of the industry.