Specialist education providers Travilearn and Skills Training UK have partnered to design a new Apprenticeship Standard course for the corporate travel industry called Pathway to Business Travel Professional.
The collaboration follows growing demand from the industry to attract and retain talent by teaching new and existing employees the skills needed to work in business travel.
The new programme is available to employers by using the government’s Apprenticeship Levy, with those companies paying the levy able to access 100 per cent funding for the programme. Ninety per cent funding is also available to non-paying organisations.
Travilearn says the Pathway to Business Travel Professional programme focuses on client-facing job roles, as well as those that involve delivery of high-quality products and services to corporate buyers, bookers and business travellers. Typical positions include operations, support services, sales and account management for both TMCs and suppliers including airlines, hotel groups and intermediary service providers.
Throughout the course, learners will develop knowledge, skills and behaviours for customer service, as well as business travel expertise that covers travel products, services, technology and industry trends. They will also learn how to meet KPIs and regulatory requirements.
The duration of the programme is a minimum of 12 months and mixes traditional classroom delivery with e-learning modules offered by Travilearn in its travel management Diploma courses, which offer 24/7 access to training content regardless of location.
Karen McKenna, MD of Travilearn, explained: “Strong global growth in the corporate travel sector has increased the demand for good staff and management, and organisations are struggling to attract candidates with the right set of skills. Those already in the industry also need to have the type of training that provides them with the knowledge for career advancement and personal development. This new Apprenticeship Standard programme includes highly interactive content including videos, infographics, audio and quizzes, with narrative modules featuring case studies and helpful tips that test and build the learner’s understanding. Learners are also supported by instructors who engage and interact with them for assessment and providing feedback on progress.
“We’ve created our course with Skills Training UK, one of the biggest providers of apprenticeship courses in the country, so that learners can have access to structured and certified business travel training through the government levy programme. The course is designed to contribute to their professional development throughout their career.”
Stephen Crawley, COO of Skills Training UK, added: “We are delighted to partner with Travilearn to create a very powerful and relevant training offer designed for the business travel industry. It is an exciting new opportunity for travel employers to make use of the Apprenticeship Levy to further develop their employees.”
Completion of the Pathway to Business Travel Professional course leads to eligibility to join the Institute of Customer Service as an individual member at Professional level, as well as the GTMC Business Travel Professional Diploma, Level 1.
travilearn.com