Exeter College's first cohort of Air Cabin Crew trainees celebrated completing their first year with flying colours in a special progression ceremony at their training ground – Flybe Training Academy.

The group of 33 students 'passed out' with certificates marking their success on the first year of the intensive two year BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma programme that sees them experience all the health and safety and customer service training they need to ensure that they can prove their employability to future travel and airline companies.

Marking their success from Flybe was Andrew Boomer and Louise Holder who congratulated the students on their work within their first year warning them that the standards in the industry were continually improving and that the students would need to continue to focus on excellent customer service in their second year.

“We are very proud of the teams of students” said Andy Waite, lecturer from Exeter College “since in their first year they have proved to have a high level of commitment to both the theoretical studies and practical sessions in the course. It is a very intensive course with units looking at the cruise industry, working as an overseas rep as well as gaining Aviation Operational on the Group certification. The students' focus has been excellent and they have been brilliant ambassadors for Exeter College in the Flybe Training Academy – another sign of the strong partnership between the college and Europe's largest regional airline.”

The BTEC programme is one of a number of vocational courses in the Travel and Tourism department but is unique in benefiting from learning at Flybe's head quarters. Louise Middleditch deputy head of Sports Leisure and Tourism at the college noted “All our vocational courses concentrate on mirroring up to date industry practices and where best to show the relevance to the industry than by training within Flybe's Training Academy. This is the first group of students to follow this programme and they have all responded well to the demands of this course – it continues to be a very popular course and the progression ceremony helped us to celebrate their training success.”