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Apprenticeships for travel businesses
Author: Shan Purcell, Marketing Manager DAMAR Training
With our headquarters in Manchester, DAMAR have 40 years of experience offering apprenticeships across England in travel consultancy, business admin, customer service, accountancy, legal and management for new and existing members of staff.
Apprenticeship training has proven to bring many benefits to businesses, including:
- Improving productivity
- Developing fresh talent and a more diverse workforce
- Enabling existing staff to be more effective
- Improving staff retention and morale
- Increasing levels of customer service
- Improving systems and processes
- Developing innovative, forward-thinking managers.
The Travel Consultant Apprenticeship
DAMAR are one of the few providers in the country to offer the unique Level 3 Travel Consultant Apprenticeship standard to newly recruited and existing members of staff in travel agencies across England.
The apprenticeship builds knowledge, skills and behaviours across various topics: understanding the organisation, providing excellent customer service, meeting regulations, working in teams, using systems and resources, and dealing with conflict and self-development.
The qualification lasts 15 months and delivery is a blend of:
- Diverse and engaging online resources to support the development of knowledge, behaviours and skills
- Group coaching and subject specialist sessions/workshops
- Review meetings with the apprentice, line manager and dedicated Damar coach.
If you’re new to apprenticeships…
If you’re new to the world of apprenticeships, there are a few things for you to think about.
Firstly, you are welcome to have a completely no-obligation conversation with us about exactly what the apprenticeship involves. We will be completely transparent with you in terms of what your commitment is as an employer, so you will know exactly what to expect at every stage of the apprenticeship journey.
Secondly, we can manage the recruitment process for you. We have a dedicated recruitment team who can advertise your vacancy, screen applicants and submit only the most suitable candidates to you for consideration. But don’t just think about apprenticeships in terms of recruiting new members of staff. They are also a really good tool for existing employees, to help them perform better in their current role or move onto a more senior position.
Thirdly, there is not an extensive list of eligibility criteria for apprentices. They are not just for school leavers; someone of any age can undertake an apprenticeship, even if they have a university degree in many cases. The main requirement is that the apprenticeship training will enable the individual to develop new skills, knowledge and behaviours.
Finally, don’t just think about the travel consultant apprenticeship. Many of the travel agents we work with also use us to help train their accountants, admin staff, legal teams and management.
Our Apprentices
We’ve worked with many travel agencies across England and here are some comments we’ve received from apprentices about the impact they’ve had on their organisations:
"From going on cruises, I have brought knowledge of these experiences. Also, I have brought social media knowledge and help with things such as Facebook posts, other social media networks and IT programmes like Microsoft Word."
Martin, Travel Consultant Apprentice, Cruise Ready
"The work set has always been clear and the training sessions always gave me the information I needed. My coach was always very supportive and answered any questions I had. I think I have contributed a good sense of teamwork as I was always willing to help others and take on additional tasks and work."
Frayer Bradley, Travel Consultant Apprentice, Clarity Business Travel
“The apprenticeship has definitely taught me new knowledge and skills I didn’t have, including giving me a sense of a working environment. I can now be at the beck and call of the rest of the team, helping where I need to.”
Jolie Redfearn, Travel Consultant Apprentice, BCD Travel
ABTA Members can access 30 minutes free advice with Damar Training using ABTA’s Training and Recruitment Helpline. Find out more here.