ITC’s Offer Gateway to Career and Personal Growth
ITC prides itself on its relationships with secondary schools and making tertiary opportunities available to high school students.
Recently enrolled student Denzell Lio Joshua Patelesio completed the ITC gateway programme at the end of 2011 and this year has enrolled in the Certificate in Travel and Tourism (Level 3). Denzell loves his new study so much that he has enrolled to continue on and study for the Certificate in International Travel and Tourism & IT (Level 4).
Denzell admits that when he was first offered the opportunity as a 7th former at St Paul’s College he hadn’t heard of ITC and thought he would “tag along” with the other students to “see where this place would take us”. He was thinking of the extra credits he could gain too.
Denzell says that he was very nervous on his first day “but then, as the days went by, we started to settle into our class and our tutor made us feel very welcome.”
“I honestly can say it was the best learning experience I’ve ever had, and ever since then I had this goal to join ITC in the New Year because I enjoyed it and I loved it!” says Denzel.
Denzell says that the most important thing for him about choosing a career was that he was happy and enjoying what he was doing.
“This is exactly why we offer the gateway programme,” says ITC’s account manager Ceri Jenkins. “It’s really difficult for young people to know what it is like to work in different industries or to undertake further study. It’s a lot of pressure to put on a 16 or 17 year old.
“The gateway programme allows them to experience a new learning environment, to start to take responsibility for their own career direction and to see what a wide world of opportunity is available to them.”
That is certainly what has happened for Denzell, who says that “the experience here at ITC is very different compared to the way I was taught in my school; you can share laughter and joy with your tutors as long as you do your work.”
As well as opening his eyes to future training and career possibilities, Denzell has experienced personal growth as well. “I am now a more open person, talking a lot in class, and I’m not afraid to answer difficult questions even though it’s hard. I love ITC!”