development and staff retention and took place at Fieldfisher’s offices in London. ne Take Off in Travel 2019, published with MSC Cruises and Abta. Lucy Huxley reports


Good outlook for apprenticeships as numbers rise


The number of apprenticeship starts in travel is “climbing steadily” and the picture is “largely positive”, said Tui early talent and apprenticeships manager Andy Smyth.


Smyth had previously raised concerns that companies could misuse apprenticeship funds to recoup funds from the apprenticeship levy – taking on new recruits without proper policies in place. “There are still levels of uncertainty around it, but it’s an evolving market,” he said. “Some companies are still getting to grips with the best models, but it’s largely positive. The number of actual participants is climbing steadily and there has been a reduction in apprenticeships


“Some companies are still getting to grips with the best models, but it’s largely positive”


POSITIVE MESSAGES: Smyth (second left) and Wolf (second right)


that werent fit for purpose. Speaking about releasing levy funding, he added: “There has been some learning and maturing of thinking in this area. Companies are starting to take a more mature stance and think about what topics they want to offer apprenticeships in, and asking ‘what are my people plans for the future?’.”


Smyth admitted creating an


apprenticeship programme was easier for larger companies, but said there was some “really positive work being done by the Federation of Small Businesses in helping smaller companies make them work”. Abta’s Vicki Wolf said there had been an increase in independents


Courses may be reduced as demand dips


The number of colleges and universities offering travel and tourism courses “may need to contract”, said leading university lecturer Derek Robbins. Robbins, senior lecturer at Bournemouth University, said: “There are 100 colleges and universities providing travel and tourism courses. That’s a lot and might need to contract as demand is slightly reducing.” Robbins said demographic and age trends were impacting applicant levels, and added that Brexit had had a “big impact”.


has been a marked reduction in applications from there,” he said. “That won’t help our economy.” Robbins said the government’s


focus on apprenticeships had caused academic establishments to “think more carefully about what we are doing”. But he said academic courses


ROBBINS: ‘We must ensure our syllabuses are relevant’


“We’ve attracted many Eastern


Europeans from the Baltic states to our courses in the past, and there


still had a place as they gave a broad grounding in the industry. “We must ensure our syllabuses


are relevant,” he said. “We have an excellent graduate employment record at Bournemouth and we want to maintain that.”


6 December 2018travelweekly.co.uk79


taking on apprentices in disciplines beyond travel sales, including digital marketing, IT, finane, management and team leadership.


She added: “Companies realise


apprenticeships are not just for new staff coming into travel, but can also be used to retrain and retain current staff you want to keep.”


Take Off in Travel 2019


To download a digital version of this year’s Take Off in Travel magazine, head to takeoffintravel.co.uk


TAKE OFF IN TRAVEL


YOUR GUIDE TO CAREERS IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY


2019


YOUR GUIDE TO CAREERS IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY


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IN TRAVEL 2019


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