As the travel industry continues to post strong improvement in employment numbers, corporate agents continue to face turbulent waters. The financial collapse of Wall St brought the travel industry to its knees and for all intents and purposes corporations stopped spending money on travel. Corporate Travel Agents had no option but to find work elsewhere, which predominantly meant outside the industry.

As the market continues a strong comeback, the road to employment has improved for this group. “The cry for help has been loud and clear”, stated Doug Walsh, Director of Sales and Marketing for Hot Travel Jobs, a Travel Industry Job Board. “We continue to reach out to GDS companies asking what they can do to bring these agents up to speed”. Unfortunately, there is little they can do. GDS platforms are set up on real time and they have not seen the necessity in developing a study program.

Jill S, a corporate agent from California, who worked as a Corporate Travel Agent before her job was eliminated said; “Can I find training for GDS? I am unemployed and willing to invest in myself to get back into the field I love”. Although her credentials are quite impressive, recruiters and employers are unwilling to invest time and resources into re-training agents at this level.

As we strive to uncover resources for the unemployed, we are happy to report that Sabre Travel Network, a leading GDS supplier will host TMU in Las Vegas, NV in June 2012. Unemployed agents in need of getting up to speed will have the opportunity to do so on June 4 – 5. Check their website at www.sabretravelnetwork.com/tmu for further details on this 2012 event…