Jet2holidays is significantly increasing its investment in travel agency apprenticeships, boosting its commitment to workforce development.
- The company has pledged over £1.2 million, doubling last year’s financial support for the apprenticeship initiative.
- This funding aims to nurture the next generation of talent within independent travel agencies across the UK.
- Positive feedback has motivated the additional investment, reflecting strong support and demand for the programme.
- Jet2holidays’ initiative enables small businesses, often new to apprenticeship schemes, to expand their workforce effectively.
Jet2holidays is intensifying its efforts to support the travel industry by significantly increasing its funding for travel agency apprenticeships. The company is now committing over £1.2 million to its ‘Appoint an Apprentice’ initiative for the 2024-25 period, more than doubling from last year’s allocation of nearly £650,000. This substantial investment underscores the company’s dedication to workforce development and nurturing new talent within the travel sector.
The previous year’s funding proved instrumental in assisting independent agents develop their personnel, fostering the next wave of talent within their organisations. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, which has encouraged Jet2holidays to expand its financial commitment. This year’s funding will continue to support these businesses in recruiting and training new apprentices efficiently.
In 2023-24, Jet2holidays approved apprenticeship levy funds amounting to nearly £500,000 across 50 companies, facilitating the recruitment of 72 apprentices. Many of these partners were small businesses experiencing their first foray into apprenticeships. The initiative not only supports hiring but also contributes £150,000 towards the salaries of new apprentices for one year, easing the financial burden on these agencies.
Alan Cross, Jet2holidays’ travel agent relationships director, expressed enthusiasm about the programme’s reception. He stated, “Since launching our Appoint an Apprentice scheme, we have been truly amazed by the response from our independent travel agency partners and the feedback we have had from them has been fantastic.” This sentiment highlights the mutual benefits for both the company and its agency partners.
The programme’s value is further illustrated by examples like Blue Bay Travel, an independent agency that benefited from the scheme by recruiting two apprentices. Their Learning and Development Manager, Bethany Brown, acknowledged, “Our two new additions wouldn’t have been possible this year without the levy transfer funding from Jet2holidays, so we really appreciate it.” Such testimonials reinforce the programme’s positive impact on small businesses.
Jet2holidays’ expanded apprenticeship funding reaffirms its commitment to fostering community-driven workforce growth within the travel industry.
