Travel retail often gets overlooked. You book holidays online, collect your luggage, and forget about the travel agent who helped. But behind the counter at independent agencies across the UK, there's a real problem: staffing.
Jet2holidays just pledged a record £1.5 million for its fourth year of the Appoint an Apprentice scheme, and the numbers tell a story about an industry fighting to survive.
Since launching in 2023, Jet2 has committed more than £3 million to this single initiative. That's not corporate guilt money—that's a tour operator betting its future on the people who sell its holidays.
The scheme allows agents to recruit, develop and retain talent through apprenticeship training. Roles range from travel consultant to content creator to customer service. For small agencies (many taking an apprentice for the first time) this means real growth. For young people, it means entry into an industry that actually exists offline.
The uptake says something. In year one, demand outstripped funds. Year two saw £1.2 million of apprenticeship funding—more than double the first year's amount. Agents kept asking. Jet2 kept expanding.
What's striking is the mentorship layer. Jet2 continues to work closely with agents to provide mentorship, guidance and support to help maximise the impact of apprenticeship programmes. Last year, they introduced development activity, including a Destination Discovery fam trip for travel consultant apprentices.
This isn't just about filling shifts. It's about building a career pathway in an industry that's been written off as doomed. Every apprentice who sticks around is a future manager, a future agency owner, a future story about why travel retail still matters.
In an era of consolidation and automation, Jet2 is investing in the opposite: young people, independent agents, and the belief that someone still wants to book a holiday from someone who cares.
