From Call Centre to Code: How Holiday Extras Is Building the Future of Tech Talent

Building a Tech Talent Pipeline Through Transformation.

When a 42-year-old travel tech business needs to grow its technical talent - but traditional routes aren't cutting it - what do they do? If you're Holiday Extras, you partner with Makers and start unlocking the potential closer to home.

Since 2018, Makers has helped Holiday Extras build a sustainable pipeline of engineers, upskill team members from customer service to code, and has even started to develop a new generation of tech leaders.

Read the full story to see how investing in potential is changing lives and driving long-term business impact.

The Challenge

By 2018, Holiday Extras was growing fast - but building a pipeline of exceptional tech talent on the south coast of England wasn’t easy. The business had tried traditional hiring routes, but they weren’t delivering the diversity, agility, or retention they needed. Agencies were expensive, Industrial Placement schemes filled some of the need. However, Holiday Extras still saw an opportunity to go further in developing engineers into confident, capable leaders.

The Solution

Holiday Extras turned to Makers. What started with hiring bootcamp graduates evolved into a multi-layered partnership: reskilling existing staff through apprenticeships and growing senior talent with MBA-level leadership programmes. The focus was clear - find people with potential, and back them to grow and build a career at Holiday Extras.

Over the last seven years, Holiday Extras has developed 18 Makers learners, including 16 apprentices. 75% of those apprentices are still with the business today.

"We've worked with a lot of training providers over the years," says Stefanie Kennett, Recruitment Lead. "But the relationship with Makers is different. They get to know your business. They evolve with you. They don’t just train people - they invest in them."

Why Makers

Holiday Extras isn’t a business built on rigid career ladders. Many of their leaders started in completely different parts of the company. That mindset - valuing potential over polish - aligned perfectly with Makers' mission.

The team was drawn to Makers’ holistic approach to training. It wasn’t just about writing code. It was about building well-rounded engineers who could thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving team.

"Other providers deliver content. Makers builds people. And that’s what makes the difference."

Stefanie Kennett, Recruitment Lead

From Call Centre to Code

One standout story is of a part-time call centre worker and mum of two, Zoe, who coded her husband’s plumbing website in her spare time. She joined the Makers apprenticeship, graduated, and is now one of the most senior engineers in the team.

Zoe says “The apprenticeship has had a massive impact on my life. It gave me the opportunity to retrain in tech while still being present for my kids and managing family commitments, which was incredibly important to me.

“The apprenticeship has had a massive impact on my life. It gave me the chance to retrain in tech while still being there for my kids, which meant everything. I love my job, I’m always learning, and it’s transformed both my career and family life.”

Zoe Hurcombe, Software Engineer 

There’s also George, a former police constable who swapped the front line for front-end. Or Jon, who came from a multimedia background and helped improve Holiday Extras’ trip search performance by 30%. Makers grads have worked across the business - from customer service to app development - bringing the empathy and drive that is typical of career switchers.

“Coming from the police, teamwork and staying calm under pressure really helped me with the transition into tech. Makers gave me the technical foundation and confidence to grow as an engineer. The soft skills just needed a new context.”

George Cloughley, Software Engineer 

Immediate Impact. Long-Term Value.

"One misconception about apprenticeships is that you don’t see value for two years. But our experience is the opposite. From the moment Makers grads join the team, they’re shipping code, contributing to sprints, and adding value." 

Peter Saunby, Engineering Manager

That early impact is backed by long-term results. With a 75% retention rate among apprentices, Makers-trained engineers aren’t just sticking around - they’re progressing to the highest levels of the business. 

In an industry shaped by constant change and rising AI adoption, adaptability matters more than ever. That’s where Makers-trained engineers stand out - learning fast, contributing early, and growing into tech leaders who thrive in uncertainty.

Leadership That Get Tech

Holiday Extras doesn’t just want to grow talent. They want to keep it. That means offering clear development pathways. When they couldn’t find any leadership training tailored to tech, they turned to Makers again.

"We had tech leads who were growing into leadership roles without formal training," says Stefanie. "Makers' Level 7 programme filled that gap. It respects the reality of how tech teams work. It speaks their language."

For Peter, the value goes beyond curriculum: "A lot of our leaders have only worked here. Being in a cohort with leaders from other businesses has been really insightful. It challenges their thinking and broadens their perspective."

“Our tech leaders saw value from the very first module. One applied it straight away — using a visual map to shift a senior engineer from shadowing to leading. It’s already improved communication and collaboration across the team.”

Faye Bennett, Lead Engineering Manager

Culture Fit from Day One

Holiday Extras has a unique culture. Agile, community-led, and powered by people with long tenure who move across the business. That focus on potential, progression, and purpose is why Makers learners thrive there.

"We hire people for who they could be, not just what they are now," says Stefanie. "That’s why Makers works for us. It’s a values match."

The Result

Looking Ahead

From bootcamps to apprenticeships to MBA-level leadership training, the Holiday Extras x Makers partnership keeps evolving. It’s proof that when you invest in potential, you don’t just fill roles - you future-proof your teams. Want to do the same? Let’s talk.