ITC’s Top 10 tips on how NOT get an interview

ITC are happy to help all their students ensure their CV is the best!

ITC’s Marketing Director Claire shares her top tips for improving your interview game. (more…)

Introducing Kyleigh Mooney

Kyleigh Mooney, new ITC Recruiment Advisor. She joins ITC with a wealth of experience in the airline industry.

Kyleigh is our new Botany Campus Recruitment Advisor. She joins ITC with a vast experience of airline knowledge and flight attending experience tells us about her exciting career in travel and what she is looking forward to at ITC. (more…)

Turkey 2013 – Trip of a lifetime

In April 2013 ITC Travel Tutor Steve Burke received a long service award of $10,000 to take a trip anywhere in the world. Here he tells us how he spent the holiday of his dreams. (more…)

ITC Welcomes Lorna Cuddy

Lorna Cuddy says she was born with aviation fuel in her veins: “My dad was an aircraft engineer for T.E.A.L. (now Air New Zealand), so outings to the airport were a regular activity – watching planes take off and land and admiring the elegant air hostesses, handsome pilots and the courteous ground staff – it all looked so glamorous, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
 
Lorna’s introduction to the industry was in a receptionist position with David Jones Traveland in Sydney. She worked hard to gain experience booking flights and excursions, issuing vouchers and tickets, and typing up itineraries.

Then she got the travel bug herself and set off for London via Europe on her OE.

“I had only been in the UK for two weeks when I landed my dream job at Heathrow Airport as a ground hostess with Pan Am,” she says. “It was only part time, but it was a foot in the door.”

In those days, says Lorna, training was all on the job. With great determination and commitment, she worked all the overtime that was available until she was fully trained and eventually offered a permanent, full-time job.

After 10 years at Heathrow, Lorna got the urge to return home to New Zealand. 

“Fortunately there was a vacancy at Auckland Airport and I was able to transfer with Pan Am.”

“Then one day we day we learnt that Pan Am was selling their Pacific routes to United Airlines and we were handed new uniforms – the good news was that we could all keep our jobs plus our years of service!

“Alas, United Airlines ceased flying into New Zealand in 2003 and I was forced to ‘retire’.” 

After nearly 29 years in the same job Lorna decided it was time to pursue her other passion: cooking.  

But when she signed up for Certificates in Cookery and Patisserie at AUT she didn’t realise it would spark a new interest in teaching. After working in a private training establishment teaching travel and tourism she went back to AUT to undertake a Certificate in Tertiary Teaching.

Since 2004 Lorna has taught at a number of tertiary institutions, including AUT, and says she is now delighted to be part of the team at ITC. 

“I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with the learners at ITC and helping them achieve their goals and ambitions,” she says.

ITC is thrilled to welcome someone with Lorna’s experience and knowledge. Her airline career is an outstanding example of how the travel and tourism industry rewards passion, hard work and a can-do attitude.

Welcome Lorna!

Introducing Mel Verwijmeren

Mel Verwijmeren has recently started at ITC running the four short courses that we offer to give high school students a taste of the industry. Mel will be running courses in aviation, travel, tourism and the Big Day Out course.

Mel is the proud mother of two girls and says she is known for her bubbly personality and for always having “ants in my pants”.

She gained a travel and tourism qualification straight after high school and spent the next two years working in a call centre environment. She then worked for Air New Zealand for nine years, starting as a check in agent and moving on to work in an operational capacity coordinating aircraft and providing pilot documentation.

“I met some really amazing people,” she says. “Lots of sports teams and well-known bands, and I saw some fabulous aircraft.”

When she’s not working Mel says she loves to fundraise for foundations that need a helping hand.  “So far I have fundraised for Heart Kids and The New Zealand Heart Foundation, and I also help out at Christmas time at the Auckland City Mission, collecting items from local communities to give to families in need during the festive season.”

Always on the lookout for new adventures, Mel has recently decided to run the Rotorua Marathon. Previously, she ran a triathlon just eight weeks after having her second daughter. Mel says that realising what she could achieve “started the ball rolling in setting my own personal goals and achievements.”

Mel’s latest adventure is to join the team at ITC.

“The team at the college has a real family feel and I already feel part of that, with plenty of colleagues willing to help out at a drop of a hat. I look forward to my future with the college and seeing the students work toward achieving their own personal goals.”