57 Consortia Set To Deliver New Diploma In Travel And Tourism From 2010

Following an announcement made earlier this week by Schools Minister Jim Knight, the number of consortia set to offer the new Diploma in Travel & Tourism will be 57.

This represents 60% of consortia that applied through the rigorous ‘Gateway' application process which consortia have to go through in order to get the go ahead to deliver the qualification.

The Diploma in Travel and Tourism, which will be rolled out to schools and colleges from September 2010, is part of a major reform of education for 14 to19-year-olds. The Diploma has been designed by employers for employers so young people are better prepared for work and progression into further and higher education.

Employers within the travel and tourism sector will benefit from well-rounded new recruits who have the right mix of employment skills and detailed sector knowledge prior to entering the workforce. Key employers including Thomas Cook, TUI UK, Advantage Travel and Shearings Holidays have been involved with the development of the Diploma in Travel and Tourism from the outset.

John Humphreys, Diploma in Travel and Tourism Project Lead said: “For the past two years, our project team has worked tirelessly on the development of the Diploma in Travel and Tourism, and are thrilled with the number of consortia that have been given the go ahead to teach it from September 2010.

“We can now concentrate on completing the qualification development and ensuring that the consortia have all the practical support they require. There is still, however, the need to encourage more employers to get on board to help teachers plan for delivery and support learners into employment and further learning.”

The Diploma has been developed by a Diploma Development Partnership (DDP) involving two Sector Skills Councils – People 1st and GoSkills.

John McEwan, chief executive, Advantage Travel and Chair of the DDP said: “It's extremely encouraging to see the number of consortia who have passed the rigorous application process and are now able to teach the Diploma from 2010. Having a Diploma dedicated to the travel and tourism sector will undoubtedly raise the standards of candidates entering the industry and we look forward to working closely with consortia to help deliver a high class qualification for learners.”

To find out more about the Diploma in Travel and Tourism visit www.tandtdiploma.co.uk