// Hays Travel creates almost 1500 jobs since acquiring Thomas Cook’s high street stores in October
// It will hire new currency exchange staff and apprentices at its shops, along with new posts at its Sunderland headquarters
// Hays has already offered permanent jobs to 2330 former employees of Thomas Cook
The family-run business that bought Thomas Cook’s high street stores after its collapse will hire almost 1500 new staff to help it fill its new stores and provide head office back-up.
Hays Travel, run by husband-and-wife pair John and Irene Hays, said it was looking for 500 new currency exchange staff at the new high street shops.
The company will also take on 737 apprentices, one for each of its branches across the UK, and 200 new posts at its Sunderland headquarters.
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- Hays paid just £10,800 for each Thomas Cook store it acquired
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“We have always recruited, supported and developed young people – they are the future of our industry,” John Hays said.
“We are looking forward to expanding our apprenticeship programme and making sure there’s at least one travel apprentice on most of the UK’s high streets.”
Hays said it had offered permanent jobs to 2330 former employees of Thomas Cook and has opened 450 of the failed agent’s stores since buying them out of administration last month.
“The former Thomas Cook managers have said the biggest difference for them is being empowered and valued – as an independent travel agent they are not tied to certain products or scripts and they feel trusted,” Hays said.
Hays Travel will have 5700 employees after the recruitment drive ends. It employed around a third of that just two months ago.
Hays surprised many in October when it said it was taking charge of all of Thomas Cook’s 555 high street stores across the UK, saving thousands of staff from losing their jobs.
It came after the 178-year-old firm went out of business in late September, months after reporting a £1.5 billion loss.
The collapse sparked calls from MPs to berate former bosses at the company.
Former chief executive Peter Fankhauser told a parliamentary committee hearing he was “deeply sorry” for the company’s fate.
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