Travel and tourism must be a visible and viable choice within higher education if the sector is to attract the best talent, writes Travel Weekly’s Lucy Huxley
Over the past decade, Travel Weekly has worked with Abta and industry partners to produce the publication Take Off in Travel.
This invaluable, prospectus-style magazine and website at takeoffintravel.co.uk not only showcases the wealth of career opportunities available, but also highlights academic and vocational routes into the sector. In every edition, we have interviewed college tutors, along with present and former students who started their career journeys with a Level 3 qualification in travel and tourism.
Yet as we report this week, this established first taste of one of the UK’s largest economic contributors is to be axed in England after 2025 under government plans to reform education provision for 16 to 19-year-olds. Of course, a travel and tourism BTec isn’t the only way to get a foothold in the industry, but against a backdrop of staff shortages, the prospect of its removal is both alarming and reflective of the government’s lack of understanding and appreciation of the sector.
If we are to attract the best talent to the industry, it must be a visible and viable choice within further and higher education, as well as through high-quality apprenticeships and vocational training programmes. Lumping such an important industry into general business management qualifications simply won’t offer the same grounding, nor will it create a natural progression route into entry-level jobs or degree and post-graduate studies.
If they proceed as planned, the Department for Education’s proposals look set to inflict serious damage on the talent pipeline of the future.
Comment originally from Travel Weekly April 13 edition
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