The boss of Travel Village Group plans to meet education chiefs, teachers and parents after a social media post on recruitment provoked a large response from the local community.
Chief executive Phil Nuttall said he was overwhelmed by the reaction to his Facebook post, in which he vented his frustration at the lack of response to a plea for pupils to join the business from a local school.
After the post, he received a rapid response from the school, and was also contacted by other schools, council education chiefs and parents interested in talking to the Blackpool-based firm.
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Nuttall said he was now keen to examine opportunities to employ young people in a move that could create a talent pipeline for the future.
“We’re going to meet as many people as possible so we get an understanding of what it is they can offer,” he said.
“It’s given us an opportunity to put ourselves on the map as a business that champions local employment.”
Initially, Nuttall is keen to take on a “couple” of school-leavers but said this would depend on “what talent emerges”.
In the past 18 months, Travel Village Group has taken on three graduates and two college-leavers.
“We’ve always tried to work with local colleges but my experience has not always been good,” admitted Nuttall, adding that the latest move was “the start of a journey”.
He said: “This might be the start of something. It’s about finding the right people with a talent for selling, or web design, marketing, finance or administration, and bringing them into a successful family business, albeit a big one, and instilling values in them. We can give them confidence. We are very flexible and good at promoting within.”
Nuttall said he planned to invest more in training and recruitment.
“Everyone in the industry is paying back debt and will do so for the next two to three years, so we are in effect start-up businesses and it’s how we manage that and how we invest in training and people,” he said.
“It’s not something we have been very good at in the past, but what we’re very good at is acknowledging where we’ve got gaps.”
More: Take Off in Travel: Your guide to the amazing world of opportunities in travel and tourism