The travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation industries are experiencing a talent crisis. Through crowdfunding, we will launch the Future You Foundation, to support the sector.

Founded in 2008, ITT Future You has engaged industry and academia to promote the travel and tourism industry as a career of choice, inspiring the next generation and showcasing individual success stories.

More than 22,000 students and graduates have attended free-of-charge ITT Future You events since its first event at World Travel Market London in November 2009. 

In Academic Year 2023/24, ITT Future You will celebrate its 15th Anniversary.

The ‘Future You Foundation’ is a community initiative, bringing talent, education and industry together; to increase the employability prospects of the next generation and build a more sustainable travel industry of the future.

Since 2009, ITT Future You has hosted an annual student and graduate ‘Conference’ at World Travel Market London, 8 ‘On The Road’ events each year and has even hosted 3 ‘Global’ events overseas.

The ITT Future You initiative has managed to get this far, without any funds and purely through good will of industry professionals and individual volunteers.

In order to develop the initiative further needs investment from industry. 

Since the pandemic started, ITT Future You and its network of industry volunteers has continued to support the UK aviation, travel, tourism and hospitality industries, as well as academia, by introducing a range of new initiatives:

By launching the Future You Foundation, ITT Future You is set to develop further during the 2022/23 academic year; actively engaging with and creating opportunities for education and industry to work together to encourage future talent through creating aspiration and inspiration. 

Focusing on DEI and accessible opportunities for multicultural growth, across both leisure and business travel, to reflect the modern future workforce of the sector.

Through this 2022 crowdfunding campaign, ITT Future You aims to unite the sector to address future talent challenges.

1. Inspire the next generation of travel and tourism professionals
2. Create a pipeline of talent for the travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation industries
3. Bring together talent, academia and industry over the long-term
4. Stretch the career aspirations of the next generation
5. Showcase a diverse range of people, roles and career success stories
6. Get talented individuals placed in travel and tourism related businesses

What ITT Future You does today:

• Host the annual ITT Future You ‘Conference’ at World Travel Market London
• Manage the annual ITT Future You Awards
• Liaise with ITT Student Ambassadors in ITT Centre of Excellence Universities
• Organise up to 8 ITT Future You ‘On The Road’ events, at universities across England
• Create inspiring career-focused video content and resources for schools, colleges and universities - ITT Future You Youtube Channel
• Showcase industry success stories as guest speakers in colleges and universities
• Has the most diverse audience of any travel industry event

By Crowdfunding and with your contribution. What ITT Future You will do in 2022/23, bringing together stakeholders from across the travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality industries:

• Launch the ‘Future You Foundation’
• Directly create at least 3 new job roles in the industry (including: 1 full-time graduate position, 1 full-time apprentice position and up to 4 x 3 month student internships (covering a 12-month period))
• Expand our reach across the UK to host a further 3 new ‘On The Road’ events in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
• Create a ‘Global Advisory Board’ of key industry stakeholders – (1 to 2 meetings p/y)
• Introduce ‘OpportunITTies’ an online talent platform, to showcase students and graduates actively looking for jobs within travel and tourism businesses
• Reach target of more than 25,000 students and graduates by the end of the 2022/23 academic year

Beyond the 2022/23 Academic Year, the Future You Foundation will:

• Launch a Mentoring Scheme for students and young professionals
• Host quarterly Industry Masterclasses, aimed at next generation professionals
• Engage with national careers service to become the trusted information route for careers and opportunities in travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation
• Showcase even more diversity and social mobility in the industry to encourage people from under-represented backgrounds
• Invest in the ITT Future You website and online presence. To signpost to accurate information and the best places to work in travel
• Introduce Career Mapping of travel industry leaders career journeys to date, helping raise the profile of the travel and tourism industry, as a professional career