Ambassador Cruise Line welcomes Apprenticeship Class of 2023
Following the success of its first-ever Apprenticeship programme, premium value, no-fly operator is again working in collaboration with training provider, Northern Training Academy, to nurture the next generation of travel talent
Ambassador Cruise Line was delighted to welcome Jack Moore, Lily-Rose Kirby and Emily Clark to its Purfleet HQ earlier this month as its new Apprentices embarked on an 18-month programme with the company. This is the second year that the cruise operator has run an apprenticeship programme, with Emily, Lily-Rose and Jack following in the footsteps of predecessors who have since gone on to enjoy full-time roles in the business.
Working in collaboration with Northern Training Academy, the training provider which specialize in offering a flexible, high quality learning programme that benefits both the organisation and the learner, Jack, Lily-Rose and Emily will spend the next 18 months working towards a Level 3 Travel Consultant Apprenticeship (City & Guilds / A level-equivalent) while at Ambassador. Individuals that successfully achieve the apprenticeship standard will be well placed to progress within the industry into leadership or specialist travel roles and onto a higher level of training or apprenticeship in management.
Jack, Lily-Rose and Emily will be primarily based at Ambassador’s head office, with study days on Fridays. To support their professional development and showcase all aspects of the business, they will spend two months in each department while training for their qualification. The apprentices will gain valuable experience working alongside Ambassador’s Marketing, Sales, Distribution, Guest Experience, Finance and Destination Management teams, and will also get to experience life onboard Ambassador’s ships, Ambience and Ambition, with the operator adhering to specific Health and Safety legislation, given that the new recruits are between 16 and 18 years old.
The last four months of Jack, Lily-Rose and Emily’s time with Ambassador will be spent working in their “preferred” department, after which, all being well, they will be invited to apply for full-time positions in the business from April 2026. During the apprenticeships, they will enjoy all of the benefits of working with Ambassador with the exception of pension (as they are under 21 years old).
Ambassador invited candidates aged 16-18 who were not currently enrolled on a college course and were seeking an apprentice position to apply for the positions. Interest from prospective participants was incredibly high, with seven candidates shortlisted for face-to-face interviews following preliminary conversations with 16 interested parties on Zoom. Having shown incredible enthusiasm and competency, Jack, Lily-Rose and Emily passed the selection process with flying colours as Ambassador’s candidates of choice to join the apprenticeship class of 2023.
“We believe there is a lack of awareness and understanding about apprenticeships in the travel industry and more specifically cruise,” explains Christian Verhounig, CEO, Ambassador Cruise Line. “It’s our ambition to be an employer of choice in the industry and within our own local area, and we’re thrilled to welcome Jack, Lily-Rose and Emily to the Ambassador family as we look to nurture and support the next generation of travel talent as they begin their career in cruise.”
Jack, Lily-Rose and Emily succeed the cruise operator’s first-ever Apprentices, Holly Brookes and Freddie Weeks, who came onboard in January 2022 and passed their City & Guilds programme with a distinction and merit respectively in June 2023. Both have now joined Ambassador in roles in their chosen departments, with Holly now a Trade Support Assistant and Freddie a Digital Marketing Assistant.
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About Ambassador Cruise Line
Ambassador Cruise Line launched in 2021, offering premium-value no-fly cruises to the UK market. Based in Purfleet, Essex, Ambassador provides authentic adult-only experiences combined with a selection of multi-generational itineraries to multiple destinations including the Nordics, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Africa. The cruise line’s first ship, Ambience, entered the fleet in May 2022, operating from her home port of London Tilbury. From the 2023/24 season, guests will travel onboard Ambience as well as Ambassador’s second ship, Ambition, which sailed her maiden voyage in May 2023 and heralded the launch of departures from eight regional UK ports. For more information, visit www.ambassadorcruiseline.com