ITC to offer Aviation Course via Distance Learning

The International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) will be offering its popular Certificate in Aviation by distance online learning from August 2013.

The level 3 course will be titled the National Certificate in Aviation Core Skills and will prepare students for entry level jobs in the aviation and travel industries. Its particular focus is on students who want to work for an airline or airport.

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. Since 2006 the college has also offered a number of its courses via distance learning.

“There are many people in New Zealand who are unable to come to on-campus classes,” says Carla Sutton, ITC’s Distance Learning Programme Manager. “The reasons vary from having young children to other study or work to living far away from a campus.”

Students of the new aviation course will be able to choose between a 25-week full-time course and a 49-week part-time course.

“It’s not always easy for people to fit study into a life that is already busy with other commitments,” says Carla. “So we provide specific options and support wherever we can to help our distance students succeed.”

And ITC’s students agree that it all makes a difference.

“I thought it was going to be difficult, as I am also studying at university and looking after my son, but with the help and support from fellow students and ITC, I DID IT!” says graduate Caroline.

And Sarah says: “I have had so many changes and challenges over the last 6 months, and having study on top of it all seemed to be too much at times, but all your kind words and listening ears have made what seemed impossible very possible and easy.”

As with other ITC courses, students are given advice and help to create a CV that puts their best foot forward and highlights their particular strengths. And distance learning support staff put the students through a practice interview to help prepare them for real-world interviews and boost their confidence.

ITC graduate Carla recently got a job at Menzies Aviation: “This is exactly what I want to do and I cannot believe it,” she says. “It is really happening for me! Thank you so much for your wonderful teaching and the time and effort that you have invested in me. You have no idea how much it really means to me.” “That’s what it’s all about for us,” says Carla Sutton. “Knowing that we have made a genuine difference in helping someone to change their life and achieve their dreams. We are really looking forward to being able to offer the aviation course to people who want to work in this exciting field.”

For more information, please email carla@itc.co.nz or wendy@itc.co.nz or check www.itc.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.”

ITC Wins Again!!

The International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) has won two categories awards at the prestigious Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards. ITC won in the Excellence in Service Delivery and Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality  categories.

The awards ceremony was held at the TelstraClear Pacific Event Centre on Friday 17 September. Director Karen Houston was at the awards with a number of ITC’s staff.

“What a fantastic night,” says Karen. “We are just so thrilled to win at these awards again. They are a very meaningful reflection of our success in the city of Manukau. And to win the two awards is such an honour for the college.”

ITC has been a premium supplier of full-time and part-time training programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries since 1997. The ITC Botany campus opened in 2005 and is now training over 300 students from Manukau and the surrounding area.

“We have always believed in what our college, our staff and our students can achieve together,” says Karen, “but to have this recognised from outside the college tells us we are getting it right.”

ITC has excellent placement rates for its graduates, which Karen says is a direct reflection of the college’s constant striving to better the facilities, training and outcomes for their students.

“We’re incredibly proud of our facilities; they are pretty special, and our staff is so involved and committed to helping our students realise their dreams. We have such a great community at the college.”

ITC’s strong links with industry also contribute to the college’s success. “Our industry contacts consistently comment on how well our graduates are prepared for work in their businesses. And our industry contacts regularly provide our students with valuable opportunities for onsite training, so it’s a win/win situation.”
 
It was certainly a win/win situation for ITC on Friday night.

“We’re just so grateful to everyone who works together to make ITC the place to be for training in the travel and tourism industries. And a very big thank you to the Westpac Manukau Business Awards for recognising our success in this way.”

ITC Showcases Career Potential

On 31 August the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) invited teachers from 25 Auckland schools to show them what it offers students whose dream is to work in the travel and tourism industries.

Teachers were in for an exciting day with ITC staff determined to show them first hand what a great industry it is. The teachers had a tour of the college, then travelled on a Stray Backpacker Bus to Auckland’s Langham Hotel and the Auckland Bridge Climb and Bungy.

They also heard stories and experiences from a range of people involved in the industry including Andy Hoey and ITC graduate Mark Aso from Nomad, Katie Hamill and Kathryn Murnane from Avis and Budget Rentals, and Robyn Deuchar from Menzies Aviation. The speakers shared information about their sector and their own businesses.

“This was a really valuable part of the day,” says ITC Sales Executive Ceri Jenkins. “Many of the teachers commented on the value they gained from hearing what businesses in the industry look for in new recruits and when making internal promotions.”

Maree Galvin, business relationship manager at the North Shore Secondary Schools Gateway Consortium says the day was particularly valuable for “refreshing my knowledge of the variety of jobs available and learning about new ones.” She is also impressed with “the strong links with industry that ITC has and the work that goes into maintaining them.”

“That’s a huge part of what makes ITC successful,” says Ceri. “It directly benefits our students through our excellent job placement rates and also the hands-on experience they gain at numerous industry events.”

The teachers were grateful for the effort that went into planning the day: “A huge thanks and thumbs up for a very interesting, stimulating, enjoyable day,” says Lorraine Jackson from Onehunga High School, “It was a wonderful day that went so smoothly it totally belied the hours that went into running this event.”

 “The teachers were fantastic,” says Ceri. “They were really open to the experiences we had planned for them –one teacher even completed the bridge climb despite being afraid of heights! We’d like to thank all of them for joining us and also say a big thank you to the speakers and businesses who made the day such a success.”