Another ITC Event a Winner

ITC Students, who wrote the blog and had fun at the ITC Bowling event

A Russian, an Englishman, a Singaporean and a Filipino walk into a bowling hall…  it’s another ITC bowling day out!

Dan Sayer, the Englishman of the team mentioned above, says that the idea of these events “is to get the whole of International Travel College out as one, and it works.” (more…)

An insight into Emirates

Chelsea at Emirates Aviation College in Dubai.

ITC graduate Chelsea McNeil has achieved a fantastic role at Emirates. She recently moved to Dubai and completed her training at Emirates Aviation College. Here she gives us an inside look at what it’s like once you land your dream job!

The first week focused on inducting the new recruits into the Emirates team. Chelsea says this involved medical checks, lots of speeches from different departments, and uniform fitting. The training group was also split into four batches of around 15 people for team-building activities.

“I was pretty exhausted that first week – getting up at 5am and still feeling a little jet lagged from the flight over – but I soon adjusted,” she says.

With the initial induction over, the training began in earnest.

First up was 13 days of training on safety and emergency procedures.

“The training is intense,” says Chelsea. “You learn so much in one day and then you get home and study everything you’ve learnt that day, plus more for the next day, plus homework.”

“We had practical exams every day in the amazing simulators – they create such a real environment especially during turbulence and decompression scenarios.”

The three trainers (from India, Mauritius and South Africa) were “awesome” she says.

After safety and emergency training, Chelsea had her first weekend off without any study.

She started off with some shopping at the massive Dubai Mall: “Over 1200 shops! I only managed to walk around half of the mall in 4 hours!”

Sheikh Zayed Road, home to most of Dubai’s skyscrapers is also spectacular, says Chelsea, especially at nighttime when all the buildings are lit up.

Back at training the following week Chelsea and her classmates undertook group medical training.

“It’s a little more extensive than a general First Aid course,” she jokes. “It takes about 5 days and I even learnt how to deliver a baby!”

After medical training the team picked up their uniforms and rushed home to try them on.

Image and grooming training followed. “This is a fun day where we learnt about skin care, makeup, hair, nails, fitness and nutrition and uniform.”

Next on the schedule was security. Here the trainees learnt how to conduct all security checks on board, learnt about hijacking and bomb threats and how to react in those situations.

The final part of training was service, and Chelsea says that once again the fantastic trainers made it a lot of fun.

Three final practical assessments in the simulator tested the trainees on everything they had learnt – medical, security, safety and emergency.

“It was our chance to practice everything we learnt and put it together,” says Chelsea. “It was such a great feeling to finish training!”

The graduates were then assigned their first two flights, where they are able to observe everything and experience what happens in the real world.

Chelsea’s first flight was to Chennai in India (MAA) on the Boeing 777, and she loved it.

“It was a turnaround flight, so 4 hours there and 4 hours straight back. The coolest thing was being able to sit in the cockpit for takeoff and landing. The 180-degree view was incredible.”

Are you ready to fly high?

Since 1996 the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) has been focused on providing training that gets students jobs in the airline, airport, travel and tourism industries.

With two Airport Training Centres at its City and Botany Campuses, ITC students get experience with the technology, the practical processes and the customer service skills they will need in their future careers.

The huge Airport Training Centres simulate real-world airports, including check in, customs, gate lounges, and planes where students are trained in all aspects of in-flight service. Training also incorporates the Ready to Check in online check in system, currently used by many airlines worldwide.

ITC is also committed to getting on-site experience for its students. This entails students helping out behind the scenes at industry events, and an increasing number of agreements with local industry employers, who are keen to give ITC students part-time work opportunities while they study.

“We’ve got great relationships with the industries we work with, and the practical nature of our courses means that our graduates are ready to work in their chosen fields,” says ITC’s Marketing Director Claire Huxley. “That translates into great job placement rates and a willingness from our industry partners to provide our students with work experience.”

“This whole experience has really shown me that what the tutors say to us at ITC is true – they push and encourage students to go for their dreams and never give up. My training at ITC has definitely helped me with my confidence and knowledge of the travel and tourism industry and thanks to them and my hard work it has all paid off, now I am in going to Dubai to embark on an exciting career as flight attendant for Emirates!” said graduate Lisi Kaihau.

Both ITC’s Botany and City Campuses have a few spaces on their last 2 courses in 2013, so it’s not too late to enrol now! Find out how you can launch your career in the airline, airport, and travel and tourism industries by phoning the ITC Team now 0800 868747 or (09) 373 5510 for more information, or check our website www.itc.co.nz

The Top 8 Qualities of an Awesome ITC Student

We have so many great students; we thought we’d ask our tutors what makes a truly awesome one. (Read carefully – remember they’re the ones who mark your assignments!)

1. PUNCTUAL We know it’s early, we know you haven’t had your coffee yet, we know you just had that one last thing you had to tell your friend before you came in… But an awesome ITC student arrives on time, and even 5 minutes early if possible! It shows respect for your classmates, your tutors and your own studies and future career.

2. POLITE We pride ourselves on being like a family at ITC, but that doesn’t mean you should treat the other students or tutors like you treat your little brother or sister! Be polite, smile, say “hi”. A good mood is like a cold in that it’s incredibly infectious (but in a good way). Try spreading the joy today!

3. PREPARED You wouldn’t go to stay at a friend’s place without bringing your toothbrush, would you? Part of coming to ITC each day is thinking ahead and making sure you have what you need. Bring your own stationery, bring your own lunch or lunch money; heck, bring your own toothbrush if you want!

4. WELL-PRESENTED We’re not saying you have to look like a super model – that’s what the tutors are here for – but you should look like you take yourself and your studies seriously. If you don’t, no one else will either.

5. HARDWORKING (AND PLAYING) This is truly and honestly one of those times in your life where you get out what you put in. We know, we know, it’s a cliché and your parents are always saying it… but this time it’s true! The more you throw yourself into your studies and take advantage of the opportunities ITC offers you, the better you will understand how you work best, what kind of job you want and how you can get there.

And don’t forget to play hard too – ITC’s calendar is jam-packed with activities for students to take part in, like sports days, beach picnics, Mid-winter Carnival, Global Wednesday, Valentine’s week, St Patricks Day, the Easter Bonnet parade, and student Trivial Pursuit challenges! They’re a great way to meet some new folk, have a huge amount of fun and explore your creativity. (CLAIRE YOU MIGHT WANT TO PUT A LINK HERE TO THE EVENTS SCHEDULES?)

6. CONSISTENT You don’t have to be a robot (although it would be cool if you were!), but consistently turning up to class and turning in your assignments on time and to a high standard recommend you as a student and a potential employee. Also, if you always turn in high quality assignments on time, your tutors are much more likely to be sympathetic if you genuinely need us to cut you some slack at some stage.

7. PATIENT We do enjoy reading your assignments (no, really!), but we are only human, so please do be patient with us if we haven’t got them back to you yet. We know that our students put a lot of work into their assignments and we believe they deserve our full considered attention when it comes to marking them – and that takes time.

8. PROFESSIONAL This might seem like a funny word to use to describe a student, but at ITC we are pretty serious about preparing you for a real job in the real world. We spend a great deal of time and energy working out how we can best help you achieve your dreams – but in the end it’s up to you. Treat your studies as a real opportunity to start your professional career in the airline, travel and tourism industries and you will be amazed at how far you can go!

Tutor Profile: Hala Akkad

ITC tutor Hala Akkad has over 25 years’ experience in staff training and customer service in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Here she shares some information about her background and her love of travel and adventure.

I started working as a guest relations officer at the Sheraton Hotel, then moved into sales and marketing with the international hotel brand Le Méridien.

I decided to move into the airline industry, which was a great life-changing decision. I began as a flight attendant, and then became a flight attendant safety instructor with Saudi Airline. During my time there I enjoyed teaching 54 different nationalities of flight attendants from all around the world.

After this I worked as a senior airport service agent and training facilitator for Emirates at Auckland airport, where I gained extensive knowledge about the airline airport operations, customer service and experience with reservations, fares, ticketing and the Global Distribution system relating to the travel industry.

Having a passion for airline travel and cruising I have myself taken trips to many countries around the world. Places I have been to on my travels include the entire Mediterranean, most of the Asian countries, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, USA, Canada, Panama Canal, Fiji, Mexico, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. The best thing about travelling is experiencing all the different cultures, food, shopping and the great outdoors. I am an outdoor person who loves walking, biking and kayaking and I try to work this into my travel whenever I can. The extent of my travels, my passion for the outdoors, and my staff training and hospitality experience means I am an enthusiastic teacher and I love to share this knowledge and experience with our students at ITC. I have enjoyed working with many different cultures during my working life, which has given me a cultural awareness and an appreciation of diversity that I also try to pass on to our students.

ITC 2014 Scholarships Are Open and Online

International Travel College of New Zealand’s (ITC) 2014 scholarship applications are now open to those who want to study for the airline, travel or tourism industries.

This is the second year that ITC has run the application process by asking students to create a video or a blog to be posted online. The entry needs to show the student’s passion and enthusiasm for the travel and tourism industries and commitment to learning.

“The technology and social media element of the scholarship makes it particularly relevant to this generation of students and to the changing way that travel and tourism operates,” says ITC’s Marketing Director Claire Huxley.

Applications are open earlier this year to give students more time to plan and create their online masterpieces, and the voting element has been removed.

“We initially thought that would be a fun element to the scholarship applications, but we have discovered that it put some people off. We want this to appeal to as many potential students as possible; and although it is a fun exercise, it is an important and serious decision we have to make regarding who receives the scholarships,” says Claire.

A group of ITC’s tutors and management team will select the recipients, and they will be looking for that special something that makes ITC’s graduates so successful.

“There are a number of qualities that people need to really contribute to the travel and tourism industry and to have a career that they love,” says Claire.

“All of our tutors have worked in these industries and the college has strong connections with organisations and employers in airline, travel and tourism, so we know what they are looking for.”

“We are all excited about seeing what this year’s applicants can show us!”

To find out more about the ITC 2014 Scholarship competition visit: https://www.facebook.com/ITCNZ/app_399543336780182

ITC, which has campuses in Botany and central Auckland, has been a premium supplier of training programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries since 1996.