Travel Leaders Group and Nexion have announced a new scholarship program in collaboration with AMVETS to empower U.S. military veterans toward a career in the travel industry.
The program was launched in conjunction with the American Society of Travel Agents' Legislative Day in Washington, D.C. at a press conference led by Ninan Chacko, CEO of Travel Leaders Group and Jackie Friedman, President of Nexion and well as Sherman Gillums, Jr., Chief Strategy Officer for AMVETS.
"I remember when the economy wasn't doing so well," Gilliams said. "Every corporation wanted to start some sort of veterans program. With overall unemployment dropping, it's a tough economic situation [for veterans looking to get hired]. This is why AMVETS supports Travel Leaders, who are starting this initiative even as the spotlight has shifted away from these types of programs."
The scholarship, as explained by Friedman, will begin with the Travel Leaders of Tomorrow program which will utilize the newly created Nexion Veterans in Travel scholarships to fully cover the cost of training programs for veterans looking to get into the travel industry. Tuition for the full program normally costs $1,800.
With the scholarship in place, the only training cost to prospective veteran applicants could be materials, which Friedman says may become reimbursable through other arrangements with suppliers.
From there, Nexion will waive the $199 activation fee to join Nexion as well as the first two years of monthly fees-a total benefit of $218.
Finally, Nexion and Travel Leaders will be providing mentoring and coaching opportunities for veterans over and above current opportunities within the companies, including peer-to-peer coaching with current travel agents with military service backgrounds.
It's important to note, however, that this isn't charity so much as it's an investment along the lines of good business sense.
"Most initiatives like this-those that touch on a social issue-must have their roots first in business initiatives," said Chacko. "The core need here is bringing new blood to the travel industry. We need fresh talent in this business. What I feel good about is that this is rooted in a core business need."
"The travel agent profession is very much thriving and growing," said Friedman. "We are in need of a greater number of travel professionals and it's an occupation that offers tremendous flexibility in terms of schedule and location with many agents working from home. It would be an ideal career choice for many veterans."
Gillums agreed, saying that as a veteran himself, he dealt with issues that made the transition back to civilian life more difficult. He called the pathway for veterans to become travel industry entrepreneurs "empowering," noting the same flexibility in location and scheduled that empowers many second-career and home-based travel agents.
"They simply want a fair shot," Gillums said.
Additional information on Veterans in Travel, along with scholarship applications, are available on the Nexion Veterans in Travel website www.veteransintravel.com
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