Job support continues to flood in for Thomas Cook staff
Travel companies are continuing to offer support to the 9,000 Thomas Cook staff in the UK who’ve lost their jobs as a result of the company’s slide into insolvency this week.
Amongst those companies actively reaching out to staff with vacancies is Scotland-based Barrhead Travel, which is looking for regional sales managers, store managers, travel consultants and FX consultants.
President Jacqueline Dobson said: "We have a number of positions available across the UK; we know that Thomas Cook employees have a passion for travel and customer service and we would urge those looking for their next opportunity to get in touch with our recruitment team."
Barrhead Travel has been processing applications from Thomas Cook employees since yesterday and is continuing to reach out to industry colleagues to offer support through new employment.
Business travel association BTA has launched a jobs board on its website to provide support for Thomas Cook staff.
Designed to showcase employment opportunities across its network of travel industry members and partners, the jobs board offers details and links to a host of roles currently available including branch managers, product managers and account managers.
Roles are available from number of leading operators including Eurostar, Lufthansa and Marriott Hotels as well as a high volume of TMCs who have also pledged their support.
CEO Clive Wratten said: "This has clearly been an incredibly difficult and stressful time for Thomas Cook and the thousands of staff who now face an uncertain future. That said it is encouraging to see the industry coming together and displaying such a united approach in working to mitigate some of the fallout by profiling the wealth of employment and career opportunities that are currently available and we have developed the Job Board to support just that.
"There is a strong level of knowledge and expertise within the now ex-Thomas Cook staff community. It is important that across business and leisure travel we work together to ensure this isn’t lost and those members of staff who have sadly lost their jobs are given every opportunity to continue to build their career and flourish within the travel industry."
The Travel Network Group said that so far it has recruited around a dozen Freedom Travel homeworkers.
CEO Gary Lewis said: "We have been inundated with calls from Freedom Members and are in the process of getting a good number of them set up to trade straight away. We have the systems and processes to get them operating again really quickly and if they need advice and guidance, we are happy to help.
"In these times, it’s all about the industry pulling together and it’s not in anyone’s interest to see more agents fail."
Other companies are continuing to post job opportunities for Thomas Cook staff on social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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