RECRUITMENT firm AA Appointments is calling on employers in the travel industry to make stronger links with colleges operating travel and tourism courses.
Managing director John Tolmie believes employers should be exerting a greater influence over colleges to ensure that the content of courses reflects their needs.
“Courses are far too general. They are not employer friendly. We are finding a lot of graduates have little training to go into specific disciplines,” he said.
“A main reason that companies don’t want to do work placements is because students don’t have the skills needed. We want to get employers to tell colleges exactly what they want.”
Specialist disciplines, such as business travel, are often not covered in any depth, said Tolmie, although he praised colleges such as Hove, for the relevance of the courses it offers.