ITC connects high schools with tourism industry
Teachers from around Auckland enjoy a fun afternoon at Rainbow’s End as part of an ITC Professional Development Day
On Tuesday 25th August a group of high school teachers, career advisors and STAR/Gateway coordinators became students for the day at the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC). Every year ITC hosts several professional development (PD) days to educate secondary school professionals about the tourism industry.
“Our PD days provide that critical link between the high schools and industry,” says ITC Account Manager and PD day organiser Ceri Jenkins.
“Many of the high schools have no links with the industry and therefore have very little firsthand knowledge to pass onto the students. Once teachers have attended a PD day, they will walk away with 4 or 5 new contacts who are all keen to come in and talk to their students about what’s happening in the tourism industry.”
A chance to hear from top tourism professionals
The August PD day was held at ITC’s Botany Campus and ran from 8.40am to 3.15pm. The morning kicked off with some tea and coffee, before presentations got underway.
Over the course of the day attendees heard from several leading voices in the New Zealand tourism industry, including Michelle Savusa from Harvey World Travel, Cory Roberts from Aerocare Flight Support and Riza Suryo from Sudima Hotels.
The day finished off in Manukau with a presentation from Rainbow’s End and Stray, as well as two complementary rides at the theme park.
“What a fantastic day!”
Teachers leave ITC feeling inspired, motivated and informed about the ever-evolving airline, tourism and travel industries. ITC receives some amazing feedback from those who have completed the day, with many saying they can’t wait to pass on this information to their own students.
“The day was really well organised, the staff were welcoming, the student tour guides did a wonderful job and the presenters were informative,” says Si’ulepa, a tourism teacher at Tangaroa College.
“It definitely broadened by own understanding of the tourism industry and I hope I can impart some of the passion you [Ceri] continue to display in my own classroom.”
Sharing knowledge leads to enormous benefits for the tourism industry
As New Zealand’s tourism industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, sharing knowledge with secondary schools is of utmost importance. The industry is expected to fill thousands of jobs by 2025 and there is a strong demand for skilled graduates who have a strong understanding of the sector.
These PD days help to ensure ITC is playing its role in educating high schools about the industry. According to Ceri, the benefits of this are twofold.
“Through our PD days we offer companies the unique opportunity to raise awareness about their work within schools. We also help these companies find great candidates. Businesses often offer secondary school students work experience opportunities, and in some instances even recruit new employees directly from school!” Ceri said.
Save the date
ITC’s next PD day is scheduled for the 22nd of September. Spaces are filling fast, so if you’d like to attend please express your interest with Ceri Jenkins today.
Posted in In Schools | Tagged Gateway, ITC with secondary schools, professional development, STAR, Tourism Industry | Leave a reply