Graduation 2013 – a night of fireworks and magic

Toni Waterhouse, ITC’s Academic Support Coordinator, reports on this year’s graduation ceremony.

The 4th of July, America’s Independence Day, was the perfect day to celebrate our graduates’ success as they embarked on the next chapter in their lives.

Guest Speaker Kevin Biggar, from TV programme ‘First Crossings’, kindly came along to watch future successes take to the stage and to share his journey of self discovery, struggles and stardom. He provided enough motivation and drive to spark the light in many of us.

We embraced our multicultural college with many students in traditional dress, and a fantastic performance by the La Fuze Dance Crew. On the back of their Miss World NZ act, they treated us to a mixture of cultural and current dance moves, lathered in oil – They certainly knew how to entertain a crowd!

Special thanks to the wonderful people of our industry, who not only attended the night to scope out the talent but who graciously donated gifts for our Special Awards. We give warm thanks to the Langham Hotel, YHA, Intercity, Rainbows End, Nomads, Explore NZ, EcoZip Adventures, Sky Jump Auckland, Fullers, Auckland Bridge Bungy, Jucy and Stray Tours.

Congratulations to all of the students who graduated on the night, in particular Romain Villard and Elizabeth Adams who were awarded Student of the Year from the City and Botany Campuses respectively. And congratulations to the family, friends and staff who supported them along the way. The students have achieved greatness under our wings, but it is now time for them to set out on their own. As Socrates said: ‘To find yourself, think for yourself’ and remember the best is yet to come!

An Excellent Season For Travel and Tourism Graduates

International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) Account Manager Ceri Jenkins has noticed an upturn in the entry-level employment market.

“If current vacancies are a reflection of the state of the industry, the future is looking very positive,” says Ceri. “I cannot remember a winter season where so many companies have contacted us to advertise entry-level roles with almost immediate starts.”

The vacancies are across a broad range of sectors, including adventure tourism, car rental, travel agency, airline, accommodation, airport and tour operators.

Ceri says there are a number of contributing factors to the upturn in the market: “There seems to be a genuine confidence out there from both employers and employees.

“Employees are taking the next step in their careers and creating entry-level vacancies, and employers are planning ahead and training new staff now to ensure they are ready when peak season arrives.”

Ceri says there is no doubt that the lure of Australia is still a factor in creating entry-level positions, with employers recounting stories of staff leaving to chase more money; but ITC’s graduates are benefiting greatly from this upturn.

The key recruitment period in the travel and tourism industry is traditionally from September to November, notes Ceri.

“If the entry-level job market is this busy now, it seems an indication that the 2013/2014 season will be an excellent one for New Zealand’s travel and tourism industry.”

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

Introducing Amy McPhail

I am so delighted to introduce myself as a new Travel and Tourism Tutor here at ITC.

I began my career in travel just as you are, as a student studying towards a Certificate in Travel, Tourism and Business. This gave me a great foundation to launch my career and introduced me to the wide variety of work available in this exciting industry.

After completing my study I moved to Australia and began my first job in travel working for the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane. My dream of becoming a flight attendant came true when I was hired by Virgin Australia to be part of the crew that would launch Virgin’s new international airline out of Sydney. After four years in Australia I decided it was time to return home and have since worked for a travel wholesaler and as a travel agent.

My favourite part of working in the travel and tourism Industry is, of course, the travel. I have been extremely fortunate to see some amazing destinations through my work including Fiji, Thailand, the United States of America, South Africa, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Working in travel can be extremely rewarding and fun. If you work hard and want to succeed the world truly is your oyster!

I can genuinely say that I have used all of the skills that I learnt through my Certificate in Travel at some point in my career, and that is why I am so thrilled that I will be teaching such a practical and valuable course. As a tutor I hope to be able to inspire in you the same passion for this industry that I have discovered, and I can’t wait to share my knowledge and experiences with you.

I’d like to leave you with one of my favourite travel quotes: The world is like a book and those who do not travel read only a page – Saint Augustine.
I look forward to meeting you all!
Amy McPhail

Tips on gaining employment

ITC’s Account Manager Ceri Jenkins discusses two of the key barriers to graduates gaining employment in the travel and tourism industry.

“I am often asked at careers events by parents of prospective students, ‘What are the chances of my daughter/son getting a job when they finish the course with ITC?’,” says Ceri. And his reply is always the same: “If you really want a job and work hard with us, you will get a job when you graduate. However, if you sit and wait for the job to come to you, you will be sitting for a long time.”

ITC’s students and graduates have gained something of a reputation for doing what it takes to get the dream career they love. Whether it’s working and studying at the same time, volunteering at local events, or taking part in the many opportunities the college offers students to get onsite experience, most jump at the chance.

And the majority of graduates understand that to land their dream job they need to start on the first rung of the travel and tourism ladder, says Ceri. But often two things stand in their way of even getting to the first rung: lack of customer service experience and no restricted or full drivers’ licence.

For jobs such a flight attending or check-in, says Ceri, two years of customer service experience is usually required.

“This is easily worked on by encouraging students to gain part-time work while studying with us. ITC works hard to create strong industry relationships that see our students regularly working or gaining experience in hotels, backpackers, tour operators, car rental companies, cruise ship check in and local attractions.”

“If a student is doing a six-month course with us, they then only need another 12 – 18 months of work experience to achieve the two-year target. Upon graduation students are also encouraged to focus on customer service roles in any sector of the airline travel and tourism industry. By the time they are 20 or 21 they can have the sufficient experience and maturity that roles such as check-in or flight attending demand.”

Going through the process required to get a restricted or full drivers’ licence is also strongly advised, says Ceri.

“It would be no exaggeration to state that about 25 per cent of the roles we advertise at ITC require students to have at least a restricted licence. Therefore, if you don’t have a licence, you are immediately restricting the number of jobs you can apply for to 75 per cent of those advertised.”

Ceri says jobs that require a licence are wide ranging and include any role at Auckland airport, many accommodation providers and ferry services.

“These are the kind of jobs where you may be working varying hours of the day and night and they may not be close to home. It is simply not feasible to reply on public transport or Mum, Dad or partner to pick you up and drop you off for most of these jobs.”.”

Many travel and tourism jobs also require staff to drive company vehicles, such as car rental operations or even activity-based companies.

“Auckland Bridge and Bungy, for example, prefer to employ staff who can drive the courtesy bus to pick up and drop off customers at hotels, motels and backpackers.”

Ceri acknowledges that there are obstacles with learning to drive, such as the cost of gaining a licence, access to a car or access to a parent with a licence to teach children to drive. But not having a licence can seriously restrict graduates’ employment opportunities.

“So get out there and get some experience and get your licence if you can,” he says. “These are two certain ways to enhance your employability.”

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.

ITC Finalist in Auckland Export Awards

The International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) has been announced as a finalist in the Auckland Export Awards in the QBE Insurance Exporter of the Year category.

This category is open to businesses with total sales under $25 million and with a minimum of 20 per cent of revenue from exports.

“This recognises our excellence in export education, which is so crucial to New Zealand, and also to our industry,” says ITC’s Marketing Director Claire Huxley.

ITC, which has been a premium supplier of full-time and part-time training programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries since 1996, is well placed to understand the importance of international markets.

“Our industry, by its very nature, requires that we have well-trained people from all over the world here in New Zealand, and also that the graduates we send overseas represent the very best Kiwis have to offer,” says Claire.

ITC has strong industry connections and an excellent reputation both in New Zealand and overseas, which Claire believe has been critical to its success in the awards.

The college’s international students make up around 10 per cent of its student body and have a strong 95 per cent completion rate. International students are given support to become familiar with the New Zealand tourism employment market once they have completed their studies and regularly gain employment in their chosen industry.

“At ITC we really celebrate that, more than ever, travel and tourism is a worldwide concern, and we work hard to make the most of the international aspect of this industry.”

As well as welcoming international students to New Zealand, ITC’s New Zealand graduates regularly gain positions with international air and cruise lines, and on international cultural exchanges, such as Disneyworld’s “Live, Learn and Earn” programme.

The college’s tutors come from numerous places around the globe and have worked all over the world in a wide variety of companies and organisations.

“It’s a real cultural exchange,” says Claire. “There are very few places where people cannot travel these days, and there are so many opportunities for people to gain experience and to work and live within different countries and cultures. It’s fantastic to be able to offer that opportunity to international students. ”

“This is the first year we have entered these awards, and we are absolutely thrilled to be among the finalists. We are proud of our international student success and delighted to be able to contribute to contribute to New Zealand’s education community and its travel and tourism economies.”

The Auckland Export Awards are run by ExportNZ, which is a division of BusinessNZ and, at a regional level, a division of the Employers & Manufacturers Association. For more information see: http://hookedonexport.co.nz/

ITC Students Get TRENZ Experience

International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) students recently had the opportunity to highlight their skills and gain valuable industry knowledge at New Zealand’s premier tourism trade event – TRENZ 2013.

TRENZ 2013 ran from Sunday 21 – Wednesday 24 April at Auckland waterfront’s Cloud and Shed 10 and comprised an opening function, the Auckland Airport International Speaker programme, workshops, and a farewell ‘Taste of New Zealand’ dinner held at Ponsonby Central.

Inu – The TRENZ bar – was also open at select times during the event to provide opportunities for networking and meetings.

Michelle Chatfield, ITC’s Campus Manager – City, says the students took on a number of important roles at the event, including meeting and greeting delegates and assisting them with general queries. They also helped with setting up and packing out the trade sites.

“Our students were just fantastic,” says Michelle. “They were enthusiastic about helping in any way they could. Working at these kind of events is a great deal of fun if you are prepared to get in stuck and do what is needed. You need to be able to think and respond quickly to a number of different queries and situations.”

It was also a chance for the students to see the tourism industry in action.

“This is one of the largest tourism events in New Zealand,” says Michelle. “We are proud that each time TRENZ is held in Auckland the organisers, Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand, approach us to provide students to help at the event. The students were able to meet representatives from national and international travel organisations. It was a real eye-opener for them to see what a range of opportunities the industry offers.”

ITC has been a premium supplier of full-time and part-time training programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries since 1996, and has campuses in Botany and central Auckland. The college is committed to providing real-world experiences as part of its training.

“It’s one of the reasons our students have such good job placement rates,” says Michelle. “They are given plenty of opportunities to showcase their skills to the companies that will ultimately hire them, and it gives them a real feel for what working in the airline, travel and tourism industry is all about.”