ITC-NorthTec partnership brings top travel and tourism courses to Northland

23 May 2016

Class of 2016: The first group of Northland students to benefit from the ITC-NorthTec partnership.

The International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) and NorthTec have formed a strategic partnership to provide Northland students with access to top travel and tourism training.

As of February 2016, NorthTec began delivering two of ITC’s tourism courses: the New Zealand Certificate in Tourism with a strand in Tourism and Travel (Level 3) and the New Zealand Certificate in Travel (Level 4).

This is the first time NorthTec has taught a Level 4 tourism course. The partnership marks the beginning of an exciting journey to bring market-leading travel and tourism training to Northland.

“NorthTec’s partnership with ITC sees a quality travel and tourism organisation working with a regional polytechnic to provide high quality nationally recognised programmes to students who want to move on to careers in the travel and tourism industries,” says Phil Giles, Director of Arts, Commerce and Applied Sciences at NorthTec.

“Both organisations and the students benefit from the strengths that each of the partners bring to this arrangement and NorthTec welcomes the specialist programmes and strong industry knowledge that ITC brings to Northland.”

With two campuses in Auckland, and a distance learning arm, ITC is a leader in the airline, travel and tourism education sector and has been delivering courses for 20 years. Account Manager Ceri Jenkins says he is delighted to be able to share ITC’s expertise with NorthTec’s students.

“Our courses provide students with more than just an education – they provide them with the practical skills needed to get a job in the tourism industry, not just in Northland, but throughout the rest of New Zealand,” says Ceri.

A work experience week is included in the study programme, putting students directly in touch with local employers. Also included are CV writing workshops and two ‘Careers Weeks’, where tourism employers come into NorthTec to talk to the students about what it’s like to work in the industry.

“We do everything we can to prepare our students for work in the ‘real world’. Our focus is to help them gain employment so they can go on to lead rewarding careers in travel and tourism,” Ceri adds.

Currently teaching both the Level 3 and Level 4 courses is Mike Matata. Mike has been teaching at NorthTec for 11 years and has 14 years’ tourism industry experience, having worked a variety of roles within the airline and cruise ship sectors. He brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the classroom.

Home to some of the North Island’s most beautiful beaches, campgrounds and historic towns, Northland is a popular destination for tourists – both international and domestic. As New Zealand’s tourism industry continues to go from strength to strength, a career in this dynamic sector represents a world of opportunities for Northland’s youth.

According to the Tourism Industry Association’s ‘People & Skills Tourism 2025’ report, New Zealand needs 36,000 more full-time workers in the industry by 2025. That’s an average of about 4000 more employees per year. With demand at an all-time high, there’s never been a better time to embark on a travel and tourism career.

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