Thomas Cook earns plaudits for its apprenticeship programme
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Thomas Cook has achieved an outstanding grade in all areas of its UK Retail Apprenticeship Programme following a recent Ofsted inspection.
The company says the unprecedented result in the travel sector puts the company at the forefront of UK businesses that have been recognised for exceptionally successful apprenticeship programmes.
Ofsted awarded Thomas Cook outstanding grades in all areas of assessment, including outcomes for students, quality of teaching, learning and assessment and effectiveness of leadership and management.
The results will now be featured by Ofsted on their website as an example of best practice in managing and delivering an apprenticeship programme.
The Retail Apprenticeship Programme was brought in-house by the Learning and Development team in 2011. It’s now firmly embedded in the Thomas Cook retail network and is seen as a key talent initiative. Each year, more than 300 apprentices are introduced into the business. They complete a two-year programme, which includes an NVQ Diploma in Travel Services, a Technical Certificate in Travel Geography and Functional Skills in Maths and English.
Apprentices work alongside their colleagues in store, learning about all aspects of a sales consultant role in a retail environment. Their work is assessed by an internal team, many of whom have completed an apprenticeship themselves or have previously worked for the business.
In 2014, Thomas Cook‘s apprentices achieved an unprecedented 94% pass rate, exceeding external standards by 24%. On completion of their programme, apprentices become fully qualified sales consultants and many of them progress their career within the company.
Pat du Pille, Learning & Development manager, Funded Programmes at Thomas Cook said: “We are over the moon about achieving an outstanding Ofsted grade. It’s fantastic recognition of the Learning and Development Team’s dedication to the programme and towards developing future talent within our business.”
Comments are closed.