My students and I will continue to lobby to save these courses, says John Garside, lecturer in travel & tourism and aviation, at Birmingham Metropolitan College
I was pleased to see the recent parliamentary education committee report about the reforms to post-16 qualifications and how it warned that “rushing ahead with major reforms to post-16 qualifications risks leaving young people stranded without suitable qualification pathways”.
The report from the education committee also said the rush to reform could risk “deepening” worker shortages in key sectors.
A review of the pace of the change to post-16 qualifications is welcome. However, we must have a firm commitment from the Department of Education that Level 3 qualifications in travel & tourism and aviation will be offered and funded in the long term for students post 16 years.
Change and enhancements to qualifications should be positive when developing programmes to ensure they meet the needs of industry, and more future work can be done to achieve that.
However, the elimination of funded courses and the uncertainty that this issue is generating in education and industry is unnecessary and unacceptable.
More: Academics back report warning against ‘rushing ahead’ with qualification reforms
Students and lecturer lobby local MP about travel and tourism courses
As far as I am aware, no one from the industry has indicated that they have been consulted or support these plans.
The same applies to current Level 3 students. When I made my students aware of the reforms, the response was one of disbelief and they have been very clear that the alternatives proposed would not suit them.
It is important to remember that, for most students, travel & tourism and aviation are new subjects to them at college.
Without this starting point they lose an important initial opening to a career in the most exciting and fantastic industry.
Employers and universities also lose a potential pipeline of future talent.
During my 30 years in the industry, I have worked and spoken with many people who began with a travel & tourism or aviation course at college and progressed either directly into employment or via university.
My students and I will continue to raise awareness and petition on this issue, and we would ask for the continued support from industry with lobbying and increasing awareness of the plans.
The coverage from Travel Weekly and interest on social media is very encouraging and we want to do more change the plans and ensure the future of the Level 3 qualifications.
Here are some of the comments made to me by my students, one in their first year and the other in their second year, to demonstrate how this cohort is thinking.
Both will go to university to study tourism, and they have a great future ahead in the industry.
However, as it stands with the current reform plans, other students in the future won’t get this opportunity at the age of 16.
I don’t think anyone has asked the students about their thoughts on the plans to defund their course.
• “I obtained a place on the Travel & Tourism Level 3 course and have to say it was the best decision I ever made. I love everything about the course and am so excited at the opportunities I know it will present me in life.”
• “I’ve sent the petition to my friends and family to sign; it’s great that we have gathered support against the plans to defund the course because I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have the option of taking Level 3 travel & tourism.”
Pictured from left: BMet lecturer John Garside with first-year Level 3 travel & tourism students Gabby Birch, Harry Bailey, Lily Condley and Evie Rimmer-Mcloughlin