The effort, spearheaded by ITT’s Future You Foundation, has attracted support from Abta, UKinbound, the Tourism Alliance, the Business Travel Association, the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE) and the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (GTTP), as well as representatives from the further education (FE) and higher education (HE) sectors.

It follows a plea from Claire Steiner, director of the ITT’s education and training committee, on LinkedIn calling for support and solidarity. "As we continue to face issues recruiting next generation of talent into our sector, the news that the Department for Education is planning to scrap level 3 travel and tourism courses after 2025 is yet another hurdle that we need to overcome," said Steiner.

Together, the working group will coordinate "a collaborative response" to the challenges posed by the government’s aim to strip funding for level 3 travel and tourism qualifications from 2025.

ITT Future You described the move as "short-sighted" and "damaging". "The industry has been largely unaware, until recently, this was happening," the Future You Foundation told TTG. "And with growing awareness, it is very clear there is a great deal of concern from both business and education."

Future You continued: "The tourism industry is a major contributor to the UK economy and provides many thousands of people with vibrant, professional and rewarding careers. Students studying travel and tourism, at both FE and HE, provide a vital pipeline of talent that understands the nuances and skills required to succeed in this fast-paced and exciting sector.

"On a positive note, Future You has already been in talks with major industry stakeholders and is convening a working group with travel bodies, including Abta, ATHE, GTTP, ITT, the Tourism Alliance, UKinbound, as well as FE and HE representatives, to coordinate a collaborative response to the challenges ahead."

‘Leaders of tomorrow’

The ATHE, along with the Council for Hospitality Management Education and the Association for Event Management Education (AEME), has already written an open letter to the government responding to the policy proposal, remarking that current policy approaches "fail to take into account the structure of the industry" and its value to the UK economy.

"To achieve and sustain this level of economic contribution, it is critical the sector is able to access highly qualified, skilled graduates who can become the leaders of tomorrow," read the letter.

"Current government policy, however, does not reflect this, with policies for both further and higher education that reduce the attractiveness of programmes targeted at the sector at a time when all three industries are facing significant challenges to recruiting suitably qualified staff, spanning entry-level positions through to senior management jobs.  

"A reduction in students taking travel, hospitality and events programmes at both HE and FE levels will simply result in a workforce that is not equipped to lead the industries forward, exacerbate workforce retention issues, and limit the sectors’ ability to achieve growth."

TTG has approached the Department for Education for comment.