The Advantage Travel Partnership has revealed a target of 50 apprenticeships across the consortium’s membership within the next 12 months.
The target follows a deal with apprenticeship provider A S Training, announced at Advantage’s annual conference in May.
The apprenticeship programme, aimed at bringing new talent into the UK travel industry, is available to all Advantage’s members, both leisure and business travel agencies. It offers a range of apprenticeship courses.
The consortium said it was acting in the wake of the government’s announcement of funding cuts to level three tourism courses, which comes as the travel industry continues to struggle to attract new and diverse talent.
Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said “With the announcement that the government will be cutting funding to level three tourism courses, and the impact that this will have on new recruits coming into the industry, we want to help our members create apprenticeship opportunities to attract new talent into our economic sector across the UK.
“We have engaged with A S Training who will be supporting apprentices in their training and understanding of the travel industry, and as a business, we will be actively involved with their development through webinars and briefings from the partnership’s management team.”
The consortium can help members to recruit apprentices while training involves six hours a week in the workplace but away from their day to day job. Training is online and face-to-face, in group sessions and webinars, and includes research and assignments. The apprenticeships last 12 to 18 months, ending with a nationally recognised qualification.
Since the partnership launched, the consortium has already successfully placed apprenticeships with agency members Polka Dot Travel, Destination Travel, Sunlounger Travel, Beverley Travel, Arrange My Escape, TravelTime World and Oakhurst Travel.
Lo Bue-Said also stressed the importance of inspiring young talent at a grassroots level and said the consortium planned to work with local colleges and universities as well as the wider industry to showcase the merits of a career in the UK outbound travel sector.
More: Advantage announces partnership with apprenticeship provider AS Training