Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Travel AgentWhere work finishes for most of us, it’s only just beginning for people employed in Leisure, Travel and Tourism. They’re the ones who run the gyms and sport centres we use, arrange our holidays and make sure we get there safely. There are some fantastic opportunities in this sector.

Fancy becoming an instructor at an outward bound centre? Want to jet off around the world as a holiday rep or aircraft cabin crew? Or maybe you’d like to focus on your sporting career while studying for a qualification at the same time?

An Apprenticeship in the Leisure, Travel and Tourism sector could lead you into any of these careers and more. Of course, not everyone works as a tour guide or surfing instructor. There are many less glamorous but equally vital roles: travel agents who arrange people’s holidays, leisure centre managers, baggage handlers, customer service assistants and so on.

 Working in this sector isn’t one long holiday. There are often long, antisocial hours, you might be away from home for long stretches and, of course, you may be doing your job while other people are enjoying themselves. But the work is varied and interesting, and there are opportunities to travel and live abroad. Your sporting talent or passion for travel will be put to good use an Apprenticeship in this sector, but IT, planning and organisational skills can be useful too. If you have an outgoing personality and know how to help people enjoy themselves, you could go far – in more ways than one.

  • Active Leisure and Learning

    This Apprenticeship contains pathways that cover many aspects of sport and leisure, from professional sport to exercise instruction to playwork including work in leisure centre’s, gyms, swimming pools, stadiums and private sports clubs, as well as an outdoor activity centre’s and adventure playgrounds.

    The opportunities in the Active Leisure, Learning and Well-being Apprenticeships are very broad if you enjoy working with people, you could instruct swimming classes, lead outdoor activity trips, or help gym visitors reach their fitness goals. Apprentices in this area need to be able to communicate with a broad range of people in order to motivate and instruct them. Not all of these roles are for those who excel at sport – You don’t have to be excellent at sport to undertake a Active Leisure, Learning and Well-being Apprenticeship, if you’ve got a flair for management and organisation, then you could help run a leisure centre both behind the scenes and front of house.

    And if you enjoy the atmosphere of large sports events then you could train in spectator safety or stewarding and work at major sporting events, festivals and local football matches. One of the best aspects of these Apprenticeships are the range of different qualifications on offer. And no matter which you pursue, you’ll benefit from having health and safety knowledge, as well as the ability to motivate all types of people.

    The following providers offer this specialism:

    East Riding College

    Hull College

  • Travel Services

    The British are taking more and more holidays each year. While many book their own travel arrangements online, plenty of people prefer arranging holidays through bonded travel agents, travel agencies and tour operators.

    These services make up the travel services industry. This Apprenticeship is perfect for those with a keen interest in travel – but it’s not a paid holiday. Working in this sector requires hard work, excellent customer service skills, and a firm grasp on product knowledge.

    The Apprenticeship has three pathways. The Leisure & Business route focuses on customer-facing roles like travel agent or business travel consultant. In the Tour Operator (Head Office) pathway, you could be working for an organisation like Thomas Cook and helping customers make travel plans by checking availability and costs, making bookings and processing payments. Many of these roles take place in call centres. Finally, on the specialist Tour Operator (Field Staff) pathway, you could provide support to customers on their holiday as a resort representative or tour guide.

    After an Apprenticeship, there are opportunities to progress to managerial roles within your organisation. If you work for a larger organisation, you might even get the chance to work further afield as resort staff or cabin crew.

    The following providers offer this specialism:

    East Riding College

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