THE TRAVEL and Tourism Services and Events National Training Organisation is being forced to raise money from the travel industry after the Government slashed its funding.
TTENTO received £250,000 from the Government for the year ending March 31, but from April the annual contribution has been reduced to £150,000.
As a result, TTENTO is in the process of raising £150,000 from industry sources to meet its budget.
The organisation was previously the strategic non-profit-making arm of the Travel Training Company, with responsibility for promoting training and education within the travel industry. It was funded jointly by the Government and the TTC, and didn’t receive any financial support from the travel industry.
However, it was hived off as a separate body last April as part of a government overhaul of the way it funds vocational training. TTENTO chief executive Caroline Horrigan said it had already raised three-quarters of the funding it needs from the trade. “We are on the way, but we need more sponsorship” she said.
Companies that have already contributed include Lunn Poly, Thomas Cook, the English Tourist Board, the Rank Organisation and Reed Exhibitions.
Horrigan wants to double her staff numbers from three to six over the next three years, but admitted she could only do this by persuading the industry to offer more financial support.
“TTENTO can do a lot for the industry in terms of improving take-up of the Investors in People award, and looking at the impact of technology and skills shortages,” Horrigan claimed.
The organisation covers training in three sectors – travel, tourism services and events.
At present, it is still based at the TTC’s office in Woking, but Horrigan wants to move to separate premises before the end of the year.