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Barrhead boss champions apprentices and women’s issues

Barrhead Travel is planning its first graduation ceremonies later this year to celebrate the achievements of its apprentices.

The events are part of a raft of policies at the agency designed to support and develop its workforce.

New managing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell told a Travel Weekly webcast how she also champions women in the company with regular speakers and events discussing business and health issues.

“I am a strong believer that if you don’t get your people right, then the performance won’t be as strong as you want it to be,” she said.

“Getting the right people is absolutely critical.”

She said 20 apprentices graduated last year and remain in full-time employment with Barrhead, which plans to take on another 20 for 2025.

“That is helping our resource and also giving new, fresh, young blood the opportunity to come into this fantastic industry,” she said, noting how she and Barrhead president Jacqueline Dobson both started their own travel careers as apprentices.

The first Barrhead graduation ceremonies will take place in April and November, she said, “giving them the proper celebration for such an incredible achievement”.

Barrhead will bring the successful trainees to the Glasgow HQ, to meet the head office teams and go out together for a meal.

As well as apprentices, Barrhead also recruits new-to-travel staff who have experience in sales or other customer-facing roles.

“They don’t always have to have experience to join us because we have our own inhouse training academy,” said Tempest-Mitchell.

“Sales and service are the key; we can develop them on the products.”


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She highlighted how many staff have long service records, with “incredible experience”, who can help develop new starters.

Furthermore, some former employees who left during the pandemic are now returning to Barrhead.

“They have come back to us. That was really great to see,” she added.

Tempest-Mitchell told the webcast she is “passionate” about her voluntary role supporting women within Barrhead and sister brands within parent company Internova Travel Group.

Monthly calls are held with 100-200 participants, along with inspirational speakers, talking about issues such as the menopause, including Helen Tomlinson, formerly the government menopause employment champion.

“She spoke all of our people here in Glasgow in person and talked about those unspoken topics around the menopause and menstrual cycles,” she said.

“All the men in the room said they felt…it helps them manage their people better and also helps them understand in their home life as well.”

She wants to continue the events in 2025 and cover other issues such as men’s health, mental health and loneliness.

Tempest-Mitchell also paid tribute to Dobson, who was promoted to an executive leadership role at parent company Internova Travel Group in June 2024, remaining as Barrhead president as well as overseeing four other businesses in the US.

“She has done incredibly well. We have spoken before about women in business, and we’re so passionate about seeing Jacqueline promoted to this role. It’s absolutely incredible,” she added.

She pointed to the “many upsides” of being part of a bigger organisation such as Internova.

“We get access to incredible airline rates because we work globally, opposed to just within the market itself,” she said.

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