Student lands virtual work experience with international tourism agency.
14 May 2021
Izzy North, whilst studying on the Travel and Tourism course “was lucky enough to attend an online work experience event which gave me the opportunity to explore all the different roles in VisitBritain/VisitEngland and listen to many people across the world discussing their experience in the industry”.
During the February half term, Level 3 Travel and Tourism student Izzy North took part in an exclusive VisitBritain virtual work placement. She was chosen as one of 16 participants from all over the UK after successfully applying for the placement earlier in the year.
As England’s national tourism agency, VisitBritain is responsible for promoting the country’s tourism brand and raising Britain’s profile as a tourist destination. This was therefore a fantastic opportunity for Izzy to gain an insight into one of the leading tourism organisations in the UK.
During the placement, Izzy learned about business areas including PR, marketing, events management, and press. She also had the opportunity to produce a collage of her own ideas about the UK as a destination, and gain advice and tips on interviewing for tourism-related jobs.
Izzy said “The placement covered lots of areas of the industry, this meant that it opened my eyes to different alleys that I can go down which I didn’t realise existed. It also helped me learn more about what I may like to venture into during the future.
I found that I really enjoyed learning about events management. This made it clear that I should consider looking to study it at university”.
We spoke to Izzy about how the course helped her get her placement and what she thought about studying at Leicester College.
“I’ve always been interested in travel and tourism and found this course interesting when attending open days. The course has expanded my knowledge to things that I had never come across before.
“I know that education is very important for me to get good qualifications. This will help me get a good job and career which is something that I really aspire to. This is why I try to be dedicated to my learning.
“I would recommend Leicester College because it offers a wide variety of courses for people to take, there are also courses to suit different levels of ability. I feel very supported at the college and I know I have staff members that I can approach if I have any problems. They have also given me opportunities that will help support me in my future of travel and tourism.”
Her Programme Lead Zophie Horsted said “I was very proud when Izzy applied for the placement, as she knew she would be competing with applicants from all over the UK. It shows real character to ‘put yourself out there’; and her positive attitude paid off when she was selected. Placements like this are invaluable to the student’s learning experience and something we encourage and support all our students to do in the Travel and Tourism department.”.