F LIGHT Centre Travel
Group (FCTG) South Africa
is setting up the Flight
Centre Travel Academy to train
the next generation of travel
experts.
The group saw a need for an
academy due to the shortage
of skills in the industry and
the lack of travel qualifications
at tertiary institutions, Andrew
Stark, md of FCTG, told TNW.
Sam Van Gool, Peopleworks
gm of FCTG, is heading up the
processes that will allow the
company to present potential
matriculants and graduates
with an accredited certificate
in travel from its academy.
The certificate will cover
travel-related subjects,
including how to sell travel
products and services, the
must-know information about
South African destinations,
business management
skills and customer service.
It will also cover the GDS,
construction of an airfare, and
processing documents such
as itineraries, quotes and
invoices.
The group hopes to have
the academy (to be housed
in the group’s head office in
Johannesburg) running within
the next two years. Sam says
they are waiting for curriculum
approval from the Culture,
Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and
Sport Sector Education and
Training Authority (Cathsseta).
FCTG has also partnered
with the University of
Johannesburg to expose
hospitality and tourism
students to job opportunities
in the travel industry and has
been invited to host lectures
on topics such as finance,
marketing and products.
“Students in tourism
and hospitality are having
career days done by
PricewaterhouseCoopers
and KPMG… but there’s
no one from our industry
that’s speaking to them,”
says Sam. In response to
this, the group hosted a
career expo on September
15 with plans to host more.
FCTG is also using a lecture
room in the hospitality and
tourism department to
give information about its
brands, the latest packages
and details on popular
destinations, which will be
updated monthly.
After partnering with
Amadeus in its learnership
programme, which saw six
Amadeus trainees exposed
to FCTG beyond the retail
front-end, the group is looking
to relaunch its learnership
programme from the
beginning of next year.
Flight Centre to launch travel academy
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