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Exciting summer in France for Loughborough College travel students

Posted: 5th September 2019 - 2:31pm
Exciting summer in France for Loughborough College travel students

An exciting work opportunity has seen travel students from Loughborough College spend the summer in France.

Jessica Bayliss, Amy and Vicky Carpenter, Chloe Coleman, Madison Dewey Taylor and Gemma Shortland secured coveted spots with Eurocamp for up to six months in the Loire Valley, Brittany and North Vendee.

Paris was the first stop for the six Loughborough College students to train for their roles as customer service and children’s ‘fun station’ representatives with the outdoor holiday market leader, which has more than 180 sites across Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Holland, Italy and Croatia.

Gemma and Chloe travelled to Domaine des Orme and twins Amy and Vicky to La Pointe St-Gilles, both in Brittany, heading up childrens’ activities including zorbing, hover boarding and archery.

“In Paris we were given intensive training in how to lead sessions as well as essential childcare and child safety skills,” said Chloe. “We’re looking after children from four to 13 and it’s great. We get to meet new people from all over Europe and we’re part of a brilliant team working with a mix of Dutch and French students, so we’re picking up a bit of their language and learning about their culture. Plus the weather is lovely and it’s brilliant to be independent.”

“It’s so good to have the opportunity to go straight from college to live and work overseas,” added Gemma. “We’re getting so much valuable work experience linked to our travel and tourism qualification – and as we have now completed our course at Loughborough College, there is the potential to continue with Eurocamp after the summer. This has opened so many doors for us.”

“The College have linked with Eurocamp and when a guest speaker came to visit us on campus and talked about the potential opportunities, I was desperate to be considered,” said Amy.

“We were thrilled to find out we had secured places,” said Vicky. “It’s the first time working abroad for both of us and it helps to be together. To get to do this, working overseas, doing all the activities with the children for the whole summer is so exciting.”

Jessica meanwhile joined the team at L’Etang de la Breche in the Loire Valley and Madison Dewey Taylor was welcomed to Les Alicourts in South Vendee and Royan – both to work as site couriers, checking holidaymakers in and out, preparing accommodation, offering assistance, arranging bike and go kart hire and running evening entertainment.
“Our team has been keeping in touch with all the girls throughout their work placements and it’s been wonderful to see them gaining so much experience and really growing and thriving through this phenomenal opportunity, while having so much fun,” said Elizabeth Gensler, lead tutor for the extended diploma in travel and tourism at Loughborough College.

“We do so much on the course to prepare students for the expectations of the industry in terms of things like appearance and behaviour as well as to really build their confidence, for example by helping to boost their communication skills and training them in how to host activities. And the girls said how much of a difference it had made to them overseas, away from their families for the first time and working with new people.”

“It is reassuring for the students’ families to see the amount of training and support the College and Eurocamp are providing ahead of their placements and to know that that they are working in safe, family resorts,” added fellow travel and tourism tutor Donna Rowley.

“We are so proud of how well the girls have adapted to their responsibilities and to their independent lives overseas.They’re exploring the areas they are in on their days off and making loads of friends. It’s been great to visit them and see how they are excelling in every area and how they’re just buzzing with excitement.”

“Working with our College Careers and Employability manager David Drewry to develop this opportunity with Eurocamp has enabled us to offer our students yet another chance to enhance the knowledge they’re gaining on our course with valuable experience, helping them take those important first steps towards employment,” said Elizabeth Gensler.

Pictured: An exciting work opportunity with Eurocamp has seen six travel students from Loughborough College spend the summer in France