By the time I was studying travel and tourism at college, I already knew I wanted to become a travel agent. I was completely set on it. But looking back now, there was a point where I thought it might never happen.

I grew up in Turkey and returned to the UK when I was 15 going on 16. At the time, English wasn't my first language and I didn't have any UK qualifications. School after school turned me away; some even said they were worried I would affect their results.

Eventually, I met a woman called Kathryn Seaward at Hull College. She changed everything for me.

Kathryn helped secure funding so I could study travel and tourism alongside my GCSEs. That opportunity gave me a route into the industry in the UK, and I felt I had something to prove from day one.

'One agency shooed me out of the shop'

I was determined to be the best student I possibly could. On the course, one of the big recommendations was to complete 40 hours' work experience somewhere in travel. I thought that part would be easy – it really wasn't.

I contacted every local travel agency in my area, which was around 14 businesses at the time, explaining how passionate I was about becoming a travel agent. I told them I'd do anything: make tea, sort brochures, answer phones, speak to operators.

Every single one said no.

Some told me they didn't have the time; others said they didn't offer placements. One agency physically shooed me out of the shop!

I remember going home thinking, "If nobody will even give me work experience, how am I ever supposed to get into this industry?" I felt like I'd failed before I'd even started.

Despite these knock-backs, I persevered. I finished the course – without the work experience – went to university in Leeds, worked on the check-in desks at Leeds Bradford Airport, and eventually landed a role at Jet2holidays head office at 19 years old.

But those early experiences stayed with me, and when I opened Cotton Travel three years ago, the very first partnership I created was with Bishop Burton College, where Kathryn is now curriculum leader.

I called her to say thank you and to tell her where life had taken me. Then I asked: "What can I do to give students a different experience to the one I had?", which is how it all started.

'I never want a young person to feel the way I felt'

Initially, we offered placements to six students. Since then, both the business and the college partnership have grown. Today, we commit to taking up to 20 students for work experience placements each year.

I never want a young person to feel the way I felt. Too many businesses still see work experience students as a burden instead of an opportunity. Some agencies that do take students use them for little more than making drinks and sorting brochures. That's not preparing somebody for a career, which is the whole point of work experience.

Students who join us start with a full induction about the industry and how an agency works. Then we split the week into "shadowing days" and "doing days".

On those doing days, they speak to operators, work on marketing campaigns, create social media posts, help with customer consultations and even call airlines alongside our team. We support them throughout, but we want them to experience the job properly and so don't hand-hold as much as you'd expect.

If a customer needs to amend a booking, we'll ask the student if they want to handle the call with us there to guide them.

Most say yes, because by that stage they feel comfortable and supported. The confidence shift you see in some young people over the course of a week is incredible.

'You've changed my daughter's life'

One parent came into the shop after her daughter completed a placement and told us the experience had been "life-changing". Her daughter had always been quite introverted, but after spending the week with us she'd gone home and had a serious conversation about her future for the first time.

That same student is now pursuing a career in cruise ship entertainment and has secured an audition in London.

Another student with learning difficulties initially refused to speak to operators on the phone. By day five, he walked into the agency and announced: "Today's the day I’m going to do it." He now works in a customer-facing role at a local shop.

The college has since been recognised by Ofsted for leading the way in creating meaningful partnerships with local businesses to provide real-world experience for students. To think that all of this came from one phone call to say thank you still amazes me.

I really believe the travel industry needs to think harder about how it supports the next generation.

Apprenticeships are brilliant, but they are not the right path for everyone. Some people want to enter the industry the same way I did; we can't afford to overlook that talent.

"Just because you've been in the industry for 30 years doesn't mean somebody brand-new won't be as good as you," is something I say often to other agents.

If even one agency reads this and decides to give a young person a chance, then sharing my story will have been worthwhile.

Josh Cotton was speaking to TTG reporter Dea Jusufi.