Arabian Travel Market and Millennium & Copthorne Middle East have teamed-up for the second year running to offer an once-in-a-lifetime apprenticeship opportunity at this year’s showcase travel event.

Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director at Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “Last year’s launch of the apprenticeship scheme was a great success and due to the amount of enquiries we received, we have decided to run the initiative for a second year. This scheme is a fresh approach to recruitment in the travel industry and an exciting and increasingly relevant addition to Careers Day on the Thursday of the show”

Aspiring hotel professionals now have the chance to showcase their talent and apply for three fast track positions; Management Trainee, Sales Manager and Assistant Human Resources (HR) Manager by submitting a written application and CV through the ATM website.

Drawing inspiration from the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) television series ‘The Apprentice’, applicants for ‘ATM Apprentice’ will have to prove their worth and showcase their flare by completing three tasks in the run-up to the leading travel exhibition in the Middle East (30 April - 3 May).

The initial application process, which opened on 20th February, constitutes task one: the deadline is 16th March. The details for task two will then be emailed to the successful applicants, which must be completed between 27th March and 11th April. And the final task - telephone interviews - takes place between 15th -20th April.

The triumphant protégé‘s contract will be signed before 2 May so the announcement can be made on Careers Day the final day of ATM 2012 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Chris Watson, Regional Head of Human Resources Middle East & Africa, Millennium & Copthorne Middle East Holdings, said: “More than anything else the successful candidate will be selected for his or her passion for a career in hospitality. Any hotel manager will tell you that without passion, a trainee will never succeed.”
The Assistant HR Manager will be taken under the guidance of the Director of HR, and will be responsible for overseeing all transactions encompassing employee accommodation, transport and visa issues required to support the Millennium & Copthorne team’s life-cycle with the HR department.

The Sales Manager, who will report to the Director of Sales and Marketing will be responsible for the overall achievement of a company’s sales goals. Their other responsibilities will include projecting annual sales, tracking sales performance and interacting with other areas of the company to ensure that business orders are executed properly and profitably.

Finally, the Management trainee position includes interacting with several departments of the organization in order to learn staff functions and certain aspects of hotel operations.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and approaching its nineteenth year, the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world. Last year, over 2,200 exhibitors covering nearly 20,000 square metres attracted more than 22,000 attendees.