ITC students get epic work experience at Polyfest

ITC tutor Daniel Maine says he was blown away by his students professionalism, passion and positive attitude at Polyfest.

Staff and students from the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) had an awesome time at the 2019 ASB Polyfest last month.

ITC tourism educator and marketing support person, Daniel Maine, hosted the ITC stall at the event, along with several student helpers.

For ITC students, being at Polyfest was a fantastic work experience and networking opportunity.

Daniel says he was blown away by the students professionalism, passion, and all-round amazing attitude on what was an action-packed, epic day.

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Be inspired: ‘ITC made me more understanding and inclusive’

Crissy Briggs says studying at ITC made her a more confident, understanding, and inclusive person.

Welcome back to the ITC Blog. We took a break from publishing content last week in the aftermath of the Christchurch terrorist attack. Our hearts go out to all the victims and their families, and we stand with the Muslim community of Christchurch and New Zealand during this challenging time.

We feel that, now more than ever, it’s important to share stories of hope, resilience, leadership, and community, so we are proud to publish this week’s blog post about one of our most inspirational students, Crissy Briggs. Below, Crissy shares her story of overcoming adversity to become “the leader she always wanted to be”. We are so proud of Crissy and we hope you enjoy reading about her journey.

Some people see studying as a ‘means to an end’ – something you need to do to get a good job.

But studying gives you so much more than just a qualification. Studying can also help boost your confidence, increase your understanding of the world, and improve your communication skills.

This was certainly the case for Crissy Briggs. Crissy says studying at ITC changed her into “a more open, understanding, and sympathetic person”.

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ITC could be an option for Yr 13 students with back-to-school blues

The travel and tourism industry is fun, fast-paced and ideal for energetic people who are passionate about showing off New Zealand to overseas visitors.

Some Year 13 students returning to school for their final year in 2019 may be experiencing ‘back-to-school blues’.

While completing Year 13 is an excellent option for many, some students are tired of high school and ready to embark on their next challenge.

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3 reasons to get a part-time job while you study

Some ITC students on work experience last year. Work experience can often lead to permanent part-time work (or even full-time work after you graduate).

Are you considering getting a part-time job while you study at ITC?

Here are three reasons why this could be a great idea.

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Be Inspired: Sam’s journey from shyness to confidence

Meet Samuel Pascoe, an ITC graduate with an inspiring story to share.

Welcome to a new feature on the ITC Blog called ‘Be Inspired’. Every few weeks, we will give you a ‘behind-the-scenes’ glimpse into the journey of an inspirational ITC student and share what it took for them to achieve their goals. Everyone climbs their own Everest, and these students hope to inspire others by sharing the truth of their journey to the summit.

Before Samuel Pascoe started studying at ITC, he was self-described as shy, quiet, and a little bit lost.

“I didn’t know where I was going career-wise or what I wanted to achieve,” says Sam.

He’d completed a Diploma in IT but felt he unfulfilled by that career path. He knew he wanted to learn more about the world, but he didn’t know the next best step.

Then the opportunity to study at ITC came up, and things started to fall into place.

“Thanks to studying at ITC, I now know where I want to go in the tourism industry and how I need to achieve these goals,” Sam explained.

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‘Tourism makes life more meaningful’ says ITC student

Meet Anthony, an ITC international student from Shanghai with incredible work ethic, big dreams, and a huge passion for New Zealand tourism.

As far as reasons to study tourism go, Bo WU (Anthony) has a pretty good one.

Anthony (who is an international student from Shanghai, China) says that “tourism makes life more meaningful”.

“Tourism can broaden the horizon of a person,” Anthony explains.

“A person who loves travelling and learns to travel will have a better world outlook when he encounters anything.”

Of course, we completely agree.

Below is the rest of Anthony’s story. In this interview, he tells us about his career history (tourism is his second career so far), as well as what inspired him to move to New Zealand from Shanghai. It’s full of wisdom, insight, and tips – we hope you enjoy it.

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The year in review: Highlights from 2018

ITC staff and students have had plenty to smile about in 2018.

Can you believe that 2018 is nearly over?!

It’s been a massive, wonderful year for ITC, with many student successes to celebrate. Here are some of our top stories from 2018.

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Work experience leads to tourism jobs for many ITC students

ITC arranges work experience opportunities for students at tourism businesses such as SkyJump (pictured).

When an ITC student goes on work experience, they could be meeting their future employer for the first time.

Many students who participate in work experience end up working for that employer later down the track – sometimes as soon as one week later.

For example, Brookglenn Olsen recently started a job at InterCity after doing work experience there in late November. She got a call one week after her work experience offering her a job. She’s now working part-time in the afternoons and will go full-time in January once she’s finished her qualification.

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ITC celebrates IATA success

ITC’s 2018 cohort of IATA students accept their certificates at a special on-campus lunch to celebrate their success.

This year, several ITC students sat down to complete a very challenging test: the IATA Foundation Course final exam.

The exam (like the entire IATA course) is intensive and demanding, but ITC is pleased to announce that 100% of its students passed – a great result considering the nature of the test. (more…)

“I work at the happiest place on earth” says ITC graduate

ITC graduate Benjamin Strickland is working at Disney World in Florida.

Imagine being able to wake up every morning and say “I work at the happiest place on earth”.

That’s a reality for ITC graduate Benjamin Strickland. He is working at Disney World in America as a Quick Service Food and Beverage Attendant. He’s stationed in the Pinocchio Village Haus in the Magic Kingdom.

“I work for one of the most well-known companies in the world and the location I work at is the happiest place on earth,” says Benjamin.

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