That was the message of Hays Travel apprenticeship delivery manager Carole Hodgson, speaking to TTG in advance of Abta’s Apprenticeships in the Travel Industry one-day conference, taking place later this month.

Hodgson has been with Hays Travel for 30 years, and actually started her career there as an apprentice herself.

At the conference – which will take place at Abta’s London offices on November 20 – Hodgson will take part in a panel session on training delivery mechanisms.

She will be joined on the panel by Alex Barker, account manager, Damar Training, and discuss employer delivery options, identifying and working with training providers, accessing the register of training providers in travel, in-house provision and becoming an employer-provider and evidencing for Ofsted.

Hays Travel – which hired its first apprentice in 1980 – is often gaining recognition for its schemes. The agency giant currently has 230 apprentices and as recently as September was recognised as the North East Large Employer of the Year in the 2018 National Apprenticeship Awards run by the National Apprenticeship Service.

Hays Travel apprentice at its Jarrow branch, Alexandra Turner-Davis, also took home the award for North East Advanced Apprentice of the Year.

“We have a longstanding culture of championing apprentices and we are successful because not only do the senior team support the concept, but the whole company.

“The most important aspect for any company is that everyone champions it.”

She added: “It’s really important that we have these kind of events to showcase apprenticeships.”

Other speakers at the event – for which TTG Media is media partner – include Royal Caribbean International’s associate vice-president and managing director, Ben Bouldin.

The conference will look at how the travel industry can invest in apprenticeships to future-proof workforces in companies – big or small.

Places can be booked online here.