Meet Kahurangi Bray: The ITC student working at one of New Zealand’s best (and most important) attractions

Kahurangi Bray has started working at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds as she finishes her studies with ITC.

Kahurangi Bray has been studying level 4 with ITC, but this summer, she had the opportunity to work at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

She hadn’t quite finished her level 4 studies, so she took ITC’s flexible study option and has moved to our online platform, Study From Home, to allow her to finish the course.

This meant that she got to kick off her career in tourism and travel as soon as the opportunity arose, while also completing her qualifications. Everyone at ITC is incredibly proud of Kahu, and excited to see her take this first step.

So of course, we got in touch for an interview! (more…)

Meet Tobius Charnley: The graduate who landed his dream role after studying with ITC

Tobius has landed his dream role at Air New Zealand after studying with ITC.

Tobius Charnley graduated from ITC years ago, and has been bouncing around the travel and tourism industry ever since.

That’s taken him to Walt Disney World, Air Chathams, and now back to home ground with a brand new role with Air New Zealand. It hasn’t always been easy, but Tobius’ hard work and dedication has meant that he has the job he always dreamed of.

At ITC we are always here to support our graduates, even years after they graduate. This is the promise we make anyone who decides to join the ITC family. We caught up with Tobius to hear more about his story. (more…)

ITC sends postcards to graduates who land jobs in the industry

Sending postcards to students who have landed roles in the industry is one of the best parts of the job!

ITC doesn’t have thousands of students every year, or lecture theatres packed with hundreds of students.

At ITC, our tutors know every student by name, and throughout the course of study, get to know their students and care about them. That’s one of the biggest benefits of being a tertiary education provider on a smaller scale – our students are so much more than just numbers.

In fact, it’s this genuine relationship we have with students that led to us starting our postcard initiative! (more…)

New influx of jobs available in tourism and travel industry in New Zealand

Despite lockdowns, we’re still seeing plenty of new roles coming available in travel and tourism.

Lockdown has been tough on everyone, especially those in Auckland who remain in level 4. Yet this time around, the feel has been quite different, especially for businesses and employers in the travel and tourism industry.

Instead of hitting pause and wondering what happens next, many employers have been taking the pause to prepare for what happens next – lower levels, a mini post-lockdown boom, summer holidays, and hopefully, borders that start opening safely in the new year.

That’s why we’re seeing hiring continue and new jobs being advertised, even though travelling is limited right now. (more…)

Meet Keeanu Cookson: From ITC short course, to full-time student, to full-time employment!

Keeanu Cookson went from short course student, to full-time ITC student, to landing a role in the industry!

One of the many pathways ITC offers into the travel and tourism industry is through our short courses in high schools all over the country.

These short courses span just one to three days, but they can be the start of a lifetime in the industry.

That’s exactly what happened to Keeanu Cookson, who began with a short course, enrolled to become a full-time student, and quickly landed a full-time job! We spoke to Keeanu, his tutor Daniel, and his boss to learn more about his journey. (more…)

Meet Stacey Elie: The graduate who landed on her feet after covid derailed her plans

ITC graduate Stacey Elie spent two months at Disney before the pandemic interrupted her exchange.

Stacey Elie is a wonderful recent ITC graduate who was living the dream, working at the Disney Exchange Program, when the pandemic broke out.

Despite this upset, Stacey managed to return to New Zealand and land an incredible new role in tourism thanks to her own hard work and ITC’s support. 

Learn a little more about Stacey’s journey, what she’s up to now, and her advice for students. (more…)

Meet Eitaro Goshima: The ITC graduate whose boss won’t stop raving about how amazing he is

Eitaro Goshima is a recent ITC graduate who began his studies at our Christchurch campus before moving to Auckland and continuing with level 5.

Soon after graduating, our Employment Consultant Sarndra approached Eitaro with the opportunity that she knew he would be perfect for.  She arranged a phone call with SkyCity.  By the end of the conversation both Eitaro and SkyCity employer Shaun knew he was a perfect fit for the role.  This is another example of the extra mile our Employment Consultants go to for our students. His new boss Shaun can’t stop talking about just how wonderful Eitaro has been to work with.

“Eitaro has done a fantastic job since joining the SkyCity Hotel Concierge team. Being an ITC graduate, Eitaro is a great success story, and an example of how ITC prepares its students. Eitaro settled into the team relatively effortlessly and now runs his own shift. I am impressed with his can-do attitude, his willingness to learn, and I look forward to seeing Eitaro progress in his career,” he said.

So we decided to catch up with Eitaro and find out a little more. Here’s what he had to say! (more…)

An influx of available roles sees many ITC students find industry work

Huge industry demand for qualified workers has seen a large number of ITC students and graduates gain roles.

With hope, excitement, and relentless positivity, we’re looking ahead to a spring and summer that are bustling with tourism as New Zealand opens bubbles with Australia and the Cook Islands.

And it’s not just us preparing for greater numbers of travellers in the months to come.

Countless tourism and hospitality businesses around New Zealand have started hiring new staff to cater to the crowds.

Here’s what we’re seeing in terms of new roles coming available, and what we’re celebrating in terms of ITC graduates filling so many of them. (more…)

Graduate interview: Meet the ITC graduate who discovered her dream job after studying at ITC!

Meet the ITC graduate who discovered her dream job after studying at ITC!

After graduating from ITC, Paige Halpin set out to take on the world of tourism and travel – although she didn’t quite know exactly where she wanted to be just yet.

She began with a stint at Walt Disney World, and only discovered her dream job once she returned home to New Zealand.

We asked her all about it in our latest graduate interview, as well as how Covid-19 affected her career, what she thinks is next for the industry, and her advice for current and upcoming ITC students! (more…)

Meet Acacia Barnes: A graduate who enrolled at ITC after more than a decade in another industry

Student Acacia Barnes is studying with ITC after first spending a decade in an entirely different industry!

In March 2020, Acacia Barnes was like many students around New Zealand. She was finishing up her studies at ITC and looking forward to an exciting career ahead – but the pandemic threw a spanner in those works.  

Thanks to ITC’s flexibility, all ITC students were able to quickly switch to our online platform, which is how Acacia completed her level 4 studies with us shortly after in June.

From going back to school after more than a decade in another industry, to studying during lockdowns, to now continuing her studies at level 5, Acacia has quite the inspiring story to tell. We caught up with her recently to chat about her time at ITC, goals and hopes for the future, and advice for anyone thinking of studying at ITC. (more…)