ITC Wins Again!!

The International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) has won two categories awards at the prestigious Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards. ITC won in the Excellence in Service Delivery and Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality  categories.

The awards ceremony was held at the TelstraClear Pacific Event Centre on Friday 17 September. Director Karen Houston was at the awards with a number of ITC’s staff.

“What a fantastic night,” says Karen. “We are just so thrilled to win at these awards again. They are a very meaningful reflection of our success in the city of Manukau. And to win the two awards is such an honour for the college.”

ITC has been a premium supplier of full-time and part-time training programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries since 1997. The ITC Botany campus opened in 2005 and is now training over 300 students from Manukau and the surrounding area.

“We have always believed in what our college, our staff and our students can achieve together,” says Karen, “but to have this recognised from outside the college tells us we are getting it right.”

ITC has excellent placement rates for its graduates, which Karen says is a direct reflection of the college’s constant striving to better the facilities, training and outcomes for their students.

“We’re incredibly proud of our facilities; they are pretty special, and our staff is so involved and committed to helping our students realise their dreams. We have such a great community at the college.”

ITC’s strong links with industry also contribute to the college’s success. “Our industry contacts consistently comment on how well our graduates are prepared for work in their businesses. And our industry contacts regularly provide our students with valuable opportunities for onsite training, so it’s a win/win situation.”
 
It was certainly a win/win situation for ITC on Friday night.

“We’re just so grateful to everyone who works together to make ITC the place to be for training in the travel and tourism industries. And a very big thank you to the Westpac Manukau Business Awards for recognising our success in this way.”

ITC Showcases Career Potential

On 31 August the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) invited teachers from 25 Auckland schools to show them what it offers students whose dream is to work in the travel and tourism industries.

Teachers were in for an exciting day with ITC staff determined to show them first hand what a great industry it is. The teachers had a tour of the college, then travelled on a Stray Backpacker Bus to Auckland’s Langham Hotel and the Auckland Bridge Climb and Bungy.

They also heard stories and experiences from a range of people involved in the industry including Andy Hoey and ITC graduate Mark Aso from Nomad, Katie Hamill and Kathryn Murnane from Avis and Budget Rentals, and Robyn Deuchar from Menzies Aviation. The speakers shared information about their sector and their own businesses.

“This was a really valuable part of the day,” says ITC Sales Executive Ceri Jenkins. “Many of the teachers commented on the value they gained from hearing what businesses in the industry look for in new recruits and when making internal promotions.”

Maree Galvin, business relationship manager at the North Shore Secondary Schools Gateway Consortium says the day was particularly valuable for “refreshing my knowledge of the variety of jobs available and learning about new ones.” She is also impressed with “the strong links with industry that ITC has and the work that goes into maintaining them.”

“That’s a huge part of what makes ITC successful,” says Ceri. “It directly benefits our students through our excellent job placement rates and also the hands-on experience they gain at numerous industry events.”

The teachers were grateful for the effort that went into planning the day: “A huge thanks and thumbs up for a very interesting, stimulating, enjoyable day,” says Lorraine Jackson from Onehunga High School, “It was a wonderful day that went so smoothly it totally belied the hours that went into running this event.”

 “The teachers were fantastic,” says Ceri. “They were really open to the experiences we had planned for them –one teacher even completed the bridge climb despite being afraid of heights! We’d like to thank all of them for joining us and also say a big thank you to the speakers and businesses who made the day such a success.”

ITC lauches 2011 ITC Study Awards

The International Travel College of New Zealand has just launched its 2011 ITC Study Awards. This year’s scholarship fund offers a total of over $22,000 to individuals and schools.

ITC will offer two individual awards of $2500 off course fees, and pupils from 34 local schools will also be offered the chance to apply for an ITC School Study Award of $500 off course fees.

ITC’s Sales Executive Ceri Jenkins liaises with schools and industry contacts and is thrilled that this year’s awards will give so many people a chance to fulfil their dream.

“The airline, travel and tourism industry offers a lot of very popular career choices. We want to attract the very best people to the industry and these scholarships are a way of doing that. It’s a chance to reward those who have the passion and the potential to really make a go of it in an exciting career,” says Ceri.

Applicants will be asked to create a promotional brochure about an Auckland-based activity or attraction that appeals to a young traveller or backpacker. The pick of the entries will then be invited to meet with ITC to discuss their promotion and why they want to pursue a career in the airline, travel and tourism industry.

“This worked really well last year as a way of identifying those with real dedication and motivation to get into the industry,” says Ceri.

“They’ve been really successful. Being awarded the scholarship was about more than just the money. It gave them a sense of confidence that they could achieve their goals,”  said Ceri.

“The enterer process was fun and I really enjoyed it” said Daniel Wright a scholarship student from 2010. “I was so thrilled to receive the scholarship, studying at ITC has opened so many opportunties for me” he said.

“The Rugby World Cup next year is a chance to really show off the fantastic people we have in this industry in New Zealand,” says Ceri. “It will provide all of our students, including those who receive this year’s ITC Study Awards, with a huge range of opportunities to learn and gain experience on the job. We’re proud of what we know our students can contribute to this important national event and to the industry overall.”

Check our website www.itc.co.nz to check out the youtube interviews with Daniel and Alex.

New look Distance learning for 2010

ITC’s ‘new-look’ Distance & Online Learning Programme (DOL) has got off to a flying start for 2010 with a range of exciting new developments.

The latter part of 2009 saw the DOL team (Wendy, Carla and Jill) hard at work preparing new course material, designing our new ITC Online learning management system, initiating new processes for student recruitment, and creating an all-new orientation programme for our students.

“Our enormous efforts of last year have well and truly paid off” said Jill Quigley, Distance Learning Manager. “We’re thrilled with our new-look course, and the proof, as they say, is definitely in the pudding – the results have been excellent!”
 
The new measures we’ve put in place regarding student selection and academic support have lead to a marked improvement in our student retention and achievement levels.  Our set start dates and orientation workshops have meant that students feel a real sense of community and peer support with fellow online classmates, which in turn helps them to stay motivated and fully engaged in their course.

Here’s what Shane Martin, one of our May class students had to say:

About the Online Orientation week: “The most comprehensive and friendliest introduction to a course that I have ever enrolled in.  The forums and profiles have been instrumental in preparing me to meet people in person for the first time – not the easiest thing for me to do.”

About the Orientation Workshop:  “Thanks to all those who attended, including Jill, Carla and Wendy for making it a day to remember for all the right reasons.  Easily the most interesting and informative course/workshop that I have ever taken part in.”

Here’s Shane and some of his classmates during one of the Orientation workshop activities.

ITC students in the workforce

Well done to Patrick Ablir who has just secured at job at Amercian Express as a consultant. Patrick is an international student who came to study in Auckland last year. He completed the Diploma in Tourism Management a few weeks ago and we were delighted to help him get a position at American Express Travel.