Various hot industry topics will be discussed including digital skills, new generation workforce training and attracting and retaining talentABTA’s Education Partner programme has been around for many years helping to develop the skills and talent sphere and has been significantly involved in the new Travel Consultant Apprenticeship too. On June 19, ABTA will host a seminar aimed at working with educators and ABTA Members to create a better understanding of the current and future challenges with regards to skills and talent in the industry, and how to attract and retain that talent.
A fantastic line-up of speakers is confirmed including:
- Patricia Yates, VisitBritain who will be talking about the Tourism Sector deal
- John Cope, CBI who will be addressing the skills issues associated with Brexit
- Claire Steiner, Global Tourism Partnership who will be sharing best practice on developing talent
The seminar will look at what types of skills the industry needs to take into consideration for the future. Paula Letorey from PwC will share research showing what the workforce is likely to look like in five, 10 and 20 years’ time and what employers should be planning for in this respect.
Dimitrios Buhalis from Bournemouth University will also share his views on how the travel industry should address the digital skills gap.
In an increasingly challenging business environment, where competition for the best talent is growing, it is important to understand what new recruits are looking for from employers. We know that Millennials and Generation Z have different expectations from employers than previous generations. Claire Haven-Tang, Cardiff Metropolitan University & Co-Chair, Association for Tourism in Higher Education and Franki Johnson, Generation Z Specialist at Embrace Change Ltd will focus on attracting the younger workforce. Kate Nicholls, UK Hospitality & Head of the Tourism Sector Deal Recruitment Workstream will also hold a session on promoting careers in travel, looking at how travel can compete with other industries.
Danielle Grant, HR Manager UK&I, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and Barbara Kolosinska from C&M Travel Recruitment will take a look at this and how educators can better prepare their students for employment.
New for 2019, roundtable discussions will focus on a range of issues related to skills and skills gaps. These will be chaired by industry and education experts and delegates will have a chance to contribute to two sessions.
ABTA’s Future Skills in Travel and Tourism seminar will take place on 19 June at ABTA’s offices in London Bridge.
