Three educational bodies have started a petition in the face of government moves to scrap travel and tourism courses.
An open letter to ministers has been produced highlighting the importance and value of tourism, hospitality and events to the economy.
More than 350 signatures had been gained at the time of writing to the change.org petition at https://chng.it/5L6TN2rxhJ.
Planned changes to further and higher education prompted the action by the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) and the Association for Event Management Education (AEME).
The action builds on mounting collective travel industry opposition led by Abta with other trade bodies to against the defunding of travel and tourism qualifications after 2025 for students in England aged 16 to 19.
Qualifications awarding body City & Guilds has also confirmed it will drop aviation, travel and tourism courses from the end of this year.
The trio of associations point out that tourism, hospitality and events (THE) was being excluded from eligible qualifications as part of a government ‘lifetime skills guarantee”.
They said: “There is little justification for this, given the importance of the THE sector to the economy and its anticipated growth going forward.
“It is already facing major recruitment issues and allowing people from a wide range of backgrounds, at any time in their lives, access to appropriate training would help achieve the required, skilled workforce.
“We strongly believe that there are significant opportunities which would support the government’s targets for the growth of the economy, if the THE sector was given a more strategic role in the delivery and implementation of government policies.”
They are urged the government to consider six points:
- Recognition of THE as a priority skills area with the provision of appropriate, industry focussed post-16 qualifications, with THE identified within the T-Level schedule.
- Recognition of the contribution that THE sectors can make to economic growth.
- Appropriate measures of graduate outcomes within THE that recognise career routes and trajectories.
- A review of the sector codes to reflect more accurately the nature of THE graduate jobs.
- Increased ministerial recognition and advocacy of THE within the government’s economic and business sector targets.
- A more joined up approach across government departments to engage with THE as a significant contributor to the UK economy, and a sector requiring an educated and skilled workforce
Dr Peter Robinson, head of the centre for tourism and hospitality management at Leeds Beckett University, circulated the petition as part of a range of activity planned ahead of a conference in October.
He said: “This letter forms part of a suite of activity the three subject associations are working on, in partnership with colleagues from across our industries which also include a research commission into the value, volume, impact and trajectory for further education and higher education for tourism, hospitality and events, and will culminate with a conference in October 2023.”
Robinson also highlighted the work that Claire Steiner, director of the Institute of Travel and Tourism’s education and training committee, is leading on around further education qualifications specifically which will form a part of the October event.