Travel and Tourism is an exciting and fast-growing industry and is vital for Scotland’s economy:
- In 2017, Edinburgh Airport was named the fastest growing airport in the UK for international passengers
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP
- The Office for National Statistics found there were 1.26 million trips by overseas visitors from July to September 2017 – a 14.6% year-on-year rise
- Figures from the Great Britain Tourism Survey suggested domestic visits were 10% up, at more than 3.5 million
With this in mind, the College has taken an innovative step forward to ensure that our students continue to meet the needs of the industry by installing a real-life aircraft cabin at St Brycedale Campus.
Practical learning in-built in our courses
Students use the cabin as part of the Travel and Tourism cabin crew element of Advanced Certificate: Travel and Tourism course and the Working as Senior Cabin Crew element of HNC: Travel and Tourism.
As well as the cabin installation, the College has also invested in the necessary additional equipment to allow students to undertake practical activities in relation to safety, security, making announcements, serving meals, boarding, check-in luggage, and duty free.
Ross Stirling, Travel and Tourism Lecturer, has been delighted with the positive impact the cabin has already made. He said: “The cabin has been a great addition for our students. Having it built within the classroom setting allows our students to gain valuable practical experience every time they are in class. This helps to ensure that they are completely comfortable and confident in the cabin environment, which is a real asset for them when applying and interviewing for jobs.
“It’s fantastic that our students can now experience the reality of working as a member of cabin crew and have the opportunity to work with the same equipment that can be found on airlines today.
“As a College, we are committed to providing students with the best learning experience possible, and ensuring that we have the best quality learning and teaching resources to allow students to leave us with both the knowledge and practical skills to further their education or move onto employment.”
Working with industry to give our students the best opportunities
Our dedicated Travel and Tourism team have forged fantastic links with airports across the UK and our students regularly get the opportunity to visit Edinburgh Airport for a glimpse behind the scenes and experience what it’s really like to work in a fast-paced airport environment.
The team also work closely with airlines, including Flybe and Jet2, and facilitate groups of students benefiting from hands-on experience in the Flybe’s Training Centre in Exeter.
Recent stats show that over 100 former Fife College students have successfully gained employment within the industry.
Emilee Wardlaw, Studying for a career in Travel and Tourism, said: “I have wanted to work as a member of cabin crew since I started secondary school and I was delighted to see that my local college offered a course that could help me get my dream job.
“I decided to leave school at the end of fifth year and apply for Advanced Certificate: Travel and Tourism.
“I really enjoyed the course! The modules were really interesting and the support I received from my lecturers was amazing. They were always available to answer emails and arrange extra study sessions if needed.
“My lecturers recognised all of the hard work I had been putting in, particularly in the cabin crew module, and informed me of the Flybe Training Academy down in Exeter and how the College has links with them for student work placements.
“The experience was incredible and so interesting. I was given the chance to shadow one of the Flybe cabin crew managers and gained a real insight into life as a member of cabin crew. My favourite part was when I was allowed to operate an industry-standard simulator, which involved landing a plane.
“I am now studying HNC: Travel and Tourism this year and I’m really enjoying it so far. The work is definitely more challenging but I know it is preparing me for a great job in the industry.”
Explore our Aircraft Cabin
Explore our Aircraft Cabin
