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Upgrade your travel business with apprenticeships
There are many benefits to offering apprenticeships within the travel sector. There are apprenticeships for almost every job function – business support, finance, legal, HR, marketing, management and, of course, travel consultancy. They are suitable for people of all ages and can be used to develop existing colleagues, as well as recruit fresh talent.
Recruitment
In Business Travel News’ review of the UK travel market in 2023, difficulty in recruiting skilled staff was seen as the biggest challenge to future success.
Offering new roles as apprenticeships gives you access to a wider talent pool, including people who haven’t followed the traditional pathway of university.
The cost of living crisis and changes to student fees and loans mean that young people, more than ever, are questioning whether university is the right option for them. In one study by Ipsos, 49% of people felt that university wasn’t worth it for young people, due to the fees and costs involved. Increasingly, school and college leavers are looking for alternative pathways to enter and progress in their chosen profession. And many of these individuals would make excellent candidates for an apprenticeship in the travel industry.
Offering apprenticeships as part of a recruitment strategy gives you access to individuals who have the right values and potential, but need some training to develop their skills and knowledge. For example, instead of recruiting a junior accountant, you could take on a motivated college leaver and support them through the accounting apprenticeship pathway.
Taking on an apprentice in an entry-level role also enables you to mould the individual to suit your organisation and ways of working. In time, they will go on to become valuable role models to other new apprentices and colleagues that join the business.
Retention
Numerous reports have shown the impressive impact of apprenticeships on staff retention rates: 80% of employers report a higher staff retention rate as a result of offering apprenticeships and 92% see a boost in workplace motivation and satisfaction.
Apprenticeships demonstrate to your employees that you support, and are invested in, their development. This can have a positive effect across the whole business, not just on the apprentices themselves. In addition, it allows you to progress team members into more senior roles whilst staying within the business. For example, travel consultant or customer service apprentices could go on to be your future team leaders and managers.
Inclusion and diversity
Apprenticeship training can form a key pillar of inclusion and diversity strategies. Learning while earning helps a more diverse pool of talent enter careers which may have previously been difficult to access. Apprenticeship training takes place alongside work, which means apprentices can build their skills and gain qualifications without taking a career break and with no cost to them. Training takes place flexibly during the working day, which enables access for those with family or other caring responsibilities.
The different backgrounds and mindsets brought into a business via apprenticeships provide fresh perspectives and contribute to a more dynamic and inclusive workplace culture. This has the potential to energise teams and promote a collaborative and supportive environment that benefits all employees.
Supporting people from diverse backgrounds within your local community can also impact your bottom line. In one study by Foresters, 53% of people said they were more likely to buy from businesses that did good work in their communities. Recruiting, developing and progressing local people into successful careers within your business is a great way to do this.
Customer service
Data from the Institute of Customer Service is striking: over 30% of people would pay more for a product or service if they received exceptional customer care.
Unlike many short courses and university degrees, apprenticeships develop ‘soft skills’, alongside technical skills and knowledge. Apprentices learn and apply skills such as communicating with customers and colleagues, team work, resilience and problem-solving. This means that they are effective at what they do, but also how they do it. For example, we have seen many travel consultant apprentices improve customer service levels through their enhanced ability to handle client requests, resolve issues promptly, and communicate effectively.
Productivity
Government research indicates that 78% of employers report an improvement in productivity as a result of using apprenticeship training for new or existing members of staff.
Another study found that UK employers see an average annual gain of £2,500 to £18,000 in output per apprentice during their training period.
Apprenticeships develop people so they are better at doing their job. They become more robust and efficient, and this elevates the overall productivity of the business. The other benefits we’ve already discussed – improved recruitment and retention, increased diversity, and better customer service all also have a positive knock-on effect on productivity.
Cost-effectiveness
One final piece of good news is that apprenticeships are 95-100% funded, making them a highly cost-effective solution. For companies that pay the apprenticeship levy, training costs are covered by the levy pot. For SMEs and non-levy payers, the government funds 100% of the apprenticeship training for apprentices under 22, and 95% of the training for apprentices aged 22 and over.
In addition, there is a £1,000 grant for employing an apprentice aged under 19 and there are no employer national insurance contributions on apprentice salaries for under 25s. Some training providers also offer a free apprenticeship recruitment service.
Find a training provider
Damar offers apprenticeships in accounting, business admin, customer service, data protection, paralegal, solicitor, management and travel. You can take a look at our website here. If you’re interested in a different type of apprenticeship, you can also search for providers on the government site.