Fred Olsen Travel is creating an in‑house training academy to attract agents who have no industry experience as well as ease the pressure on branch staff to teach new recruits.
The company has partnered with AS Training to create the Fred Olsen Travel Academy, which will offer a one-year, Level 3 travel consultant apprenticeship or a three-month intensive training course tailored to recruits’ needs. The academy will provide classroom-based learning at the firm’s Ipswich head office as well as online modules, fam trips, and conference and ship visits.
Director of retail Paul Hardwick said the firm had recognised the need for a more “joined-up approach” to training, as it aims to grow its high street presence from 18 branches to 25 by 2025.
“It’s been hard to find anyone with high street retail travel experience for the past three to four years,” he said.
“We were already seeing our growth being stunted by not being able to recruit. This academy will see a pipeline of talent coming through.”
Hardwick said the academy would help the business attract new staff as well as ensure shops’ profits are not hit by staff having to split their time between training and selling.
He admitted some branch managers felt “nervous” about taking on recruits because of the workload involved in bringing them up to speed.
“We felt it was becoming unsustainable to recruit more and put pressure on branch staff to train them when it’s so busy this year,” he said.
The academy is aiming to train eight to 12 new staff a year, from those with no retail experience to those who just need to learn about travel product. It will take on its first cohort of seven agents later this month.
Hardwick said: “We are looking for people who are new to travel but may not be new to sales, as well as those coming out of college or looking for a complete career change.
“We are a growing business; we’ve opened five stores in the past two years. To keep doing this, finding new people is vital.
Fred Olsen Travel product and sales specialist Sharne Algar has been promoted to manage the new academy.
Meanwhile, Fred Olsen Travel has acquired Ipswich-based Idelo Travel, located 50 yards away from its existing branch on St Nicholas Street.