When it comes to getting started in a career in the Travel & Tourism sector, there are plenty of possible destinations, including many right here in Plymouth. For Meghan Danby, who graduated from Discovery College in 2023, her educational journey provided the perfect platform to steer her career in an exciting new direction: becoming one of the youngest qualified bus drivers for Plymouth Citybus.
Before enrolling at Discovery College, Meghan knew she had a passion for the broader travel industry but felt uncertain about her exact career path. “Before I went to Discovery College, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do” Meghan reflects. During her studies, she considered paths like managing her own overseas travel agency or driving international coaches, before realising how there were also plenty of opportunities nearer to home.
Discovery College focuses on practical, career-focused learning within a supportive environment. For Meghan, the personal guidance from her tutors changed everything. “My Tutor and Careers Lead helped boost my confidence in so many ways that I didn’t think were imaginable, and I owe them a huge thank you!” she says. “I don’t even want to imagine how my life would be if I hadn’t gone to Discovery College and taken Travel & Tourism.”
After a brief stint at university and part-time work, Meghan spotted a billboard advertising a campaign for women drivers at Plymouth Citybus, which proved to be a turning point in her journey. After attending an open day and an interview, she was offered the position, passed her essential theory tests and case studies, and began her intensive training to become a qualified Driver.
Today, Meghan is fully qualified and is loving her life on the local roads. “Now, after four months, I’m independently driving so many different routes and meeting so many new people.”
“I’m really proud of where I am and how Discovery College helped me to get here” she shares.
Meghan’s success highlights the varied landscape of the local Travel & Tourism sector right here in Plymouth and the wider South West. The visitor economy in Plymouth is growing from strength to strength, supporting roughly 7,500 local jobs and generating over £300 million spent in the city annually.
With the city’s ambitious Visitor Plan targeting further growth, the regional transport links, cruise terminal developments at Millbay Docks, landmark events like the British Firework Championships, and world-class attractions like The Box and the UK’s first National Marine Park are opening up fantastic new career opportunities. For young people considering their future steps, this means the sector extends far beyond standard travel agencies or cabin crew; it includes rewarding careers in visitor experience, heritage management, eco-tourism, hospitality, and regional transportation.
Meghan’s achievements highlight the current national focus within the transport and tourism sectors on recruiting both younger drivers and female professionals into transport roles. Plymouth Citybus is actively working towards the long-term ambition of achieving a 50% female workforce by 2035, ensuring transport becomes a more inclusive and representative sector.
Meghan is already making a fantastic impression in her new role, even signing up to be a local White Ribbon Champion. Carys Reville, Communications & Events Manager at Citybus Plymouth, praised her early performance:
“Meghan is a credit to us. She has already received positive feedback from customers in her early weeks of driving with a mentor.”
In fact, a pair of passengers recently wrote to Citybus to praise Meghan’s exceptional customer service on a late-night route from Royal Parade to Woolwell, noting that the young driver was “polite and helpful” and an absolute “credit to Plymouth Citybus.”
Meghan’s journey proves that a background in Travel & Tourism equips young people with the essential customer service, communication, and logistical skills needed to thrive in any public-facing sector.
Are you ready to build your own confidence, explore local industry opportunities, and turn on the ignition for your career? Discover where a vocational qualification at Discovery College can take you by exploring our Travel & Tourism courses today.
