NEWS


TOUR DE FORCE: Agents gather in Liverpool for the start of the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers Conference this week, with sessions due to cover sales trends, destinations on the rise, sustainability, youth travel and expedition cruising. Pictured, from left: Kerry Elliott, Travelling Dreams; Lisa Hine, Gates Travel; Julia Brand, InteleTravel; Max Rhodes, ArrangeMY Escape; Mary Dillon, The Flying Leopard; Denise Parkhouse, Tripse; and


Zoe Franklin, Travel Club Elite. iCheck out next week’s edition for full coverage


Hope for new qualifications but ‘trade backing essential’


Travel Weekly reporters


Education experts are confident the industry can work together to create improved new travel qualifications for 16-19-year-olds to replace those due to be defunded by the government from 2025. Speakers at Travel Weekly’s


second People Summit said the funding threat should be seen as an opportunity to create “fit for purpose” qualifications – but insisted the new courses would only get approval if they were seen to be backed by industry. The comments from members


of the Tourism Education and Skills Working Group came as industry leaders hailed a marked improvement in the jobs market against the same time last year. However, they also warned the


industry must address ongoing challenges including pay levels and


travelweekly.co.uk


said companies must offer a positive work-life balance and company culture to attract and retain staff. The government plans to defund


STORY TOP


Level 3 qualifications including travel and tourism BTECs in favour of new technical T-Levels, which won’t include travel or tourism courses. Birmingham Metropolitan College lecturer John Garside said he was due to meet government representatives this week to discuss the new courses, adding: “I’m hoping the


work we (the working group) do, and the qualification we come


out with, will be industry-recognised.” Vicki Wolf, Abta’s head of


education and career development, said: “There’s a real opportunity for us to get this right now. We want to show the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education that we have industry support.” Claire Steiner, co-founder of the Future You Foundation,


insisted: “Travel and tourism continues to be one of the biggest growth areas in terms of interest from young people. This is our opportunity to create courses that are, and will be, fit for purpose.” Speaking in a separate session,


two of the UK’s largest travel firms reported positive momentum in the recruitment market compared to a year ago, though challenges remain. Jet2 human resources director


Miriam D’souli said 1,000 staff had returned to the company since Covid. “It [the situation] is much better,” she said. Hays Travel owner Irene Hays said


finding shop staff in some small towns remained difficult and the industry still suffered from “a reputation issue”. But she added: “We’re in a much better position than last year.” Despite Hays and Jet2’s upbeat


tone, C&M Travel Recruitment managing director Barbara Kolosinska said the market remained


“significantly candidate-driven”, with a wide gap between the number of jobseekers and vacancies. She added: “It’s talent we’re


struggling on; we are still nowhere near where we need to be.” Kolosinska said there were


positive signs, including more attractive salaries to attract strong candidates, but noted: “We’re not the best-paid industry in the world and we have to level up with other sectors or we will not attract the talent.” Speakers including Kolosinska


said jobseekers were increasingly looking to work for firms with robust policies in areas such as wellbeing, mental health, and diversity and inclusion. Jane Sunley, co-founder of


consultancy Hendrik & Hyde and Best Workplaces in Travel, added a positive company culture had to be at the “heart of everything” for travel


firms to attract and retain new staff. i Travel Weekly People Summit, page 12


12 OCTOBER 2023 5


PICTURE: Sarah Lucy Brown


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