ITC’s Connections with International Working Holidays and Disney – Check Out The Stats!

ITC graduate Leandri at the Ocean Reef Club in Florida.

Studying at ITC can open doors to exciting career opportunities, both in New Zealand and around the world.

Two of the exciting exchange program pathways available to eligible ITC students and graduates are International Working Holidays and the Disney Cultural Exchange Program. Read on to learn a little more about what they are – and some incredible stats about students who have gone through these programs!

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Sarndra’s Success Stories: Students and Superstars!

Sarndra and ITC graduates, who are currently working for Sudima, and recently presented at the ITC Industry Expo.

Back in 2017, ITC welcomed the lovely Sarndra Stephens to the team as an Employment Consultant. Her job was to connect current students and graduates with job opportunities across New Zealand (and sometimes internationally as well!).

She would keep an eye out for exciting roles, share those jobs with students, keep in touch with past graduates to find out who was looking for a new job, and even help with CV and interview tips.

In short, she has worked her magic on thousands of students and graduates over the past years, and there are many, MANY people working in jobs today simply because she made those connections.

So today, we’re taking a look back at just a small sample of those student success stories.

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Industry Expo Day 2026: An Industry Professional’s Experience!

Gail from First Light Travel Group at the Industry Expo Day, 2026.

The annual ITC Industry Expo Day is one of the highlights of the year for students and tutors alike. It’s when we welcome industry professionals to campus to chat about their work, roles available, tips for young learners and a little of everything in between.

This year, the expo was held on Wednesday, October 7, and we were excited to see another great turnout from major travel and tourism companies.

One of those companies was First Light Travel Group, which offers tours all over New Zealand and the South Pacific. Gail MacSween, Organisational Development Manager for First Light, had some fantastic feedback to share about the day.

“I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to present at the Expo today. It was fantastic to meet you all and spend time with the students.”

“A huge congratulations to you and the team for organising such a significant event. It was incredibly well run. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and look forward to working with you all in the future”

Not only that, she also had some updates for us about ITC graduates who are now working with the company!

ITC Graduates at First Light Travel Group

Gina O’Neill
Joined us as a Travel Designer in 2022 and quickly took on additional responsibilities as a Team Leader. Gina then progressed into a Travel Design Manager role, where she supports her team to achieve their sales goals while fostering their professional growth and development. 

Tatyana Kelenc
Tatyana is one of our Travel Designers. Throughout her time with us, Tatyana has developed specialist expertise in the Northern Territory and has always had a particular passion for and interest in Tasmania. 

Meli Ganilau
Meli joined us for a one-week work experience placement in 2023 before coming on board in an entry-level role. Since then, he has gained experience across multiple areas of the business before discovering his passion for Guest Experience. He has since stepped into the role of Guest Services Manager, leading our Guest Services team and ensuring our guests receive the five-star service we are known for.

Marcella Johnston
Marcella has held several roles within the business and recently returned from a year working remotely as a Travel Designer from Sydney. She has now taken on the role of Supplier Relations Manager, ensuring our valuable supplier partnerships remain strong and well supported. 

Tahlia Cooper
Tahlia is our most recent ITC graduate and has been making a fantastic impact in our Reservations team. After joining us for a one-week work experience placement, she impressed us so much that she was offered a role almost immediately. Tahlia now looks after bookings, travel documentation, and supplier communications, playing a key role in delivering a seamless experience for our guests.

The ITC Industry Expo from a professional’s perspective

Curious about Gail, First Light Travel, and their connection with ITC, we asked a little more about the experience!

“First Light Travel and ITC have been working together for a number of years. My involvement started mid-2023 when we had our first work experience student and we haven’t looked back since!” she said.

When asked about what the goal was for First Light Travel when taking part in these days, Gail said it was to help the students.

“It’s great to help students understand that inbound is a great option and to show them what we do and why we love the industry. It doesn’t hurt to get our name out there to great potential future hires too.”

As for her favourite part about the day, it’s all in interacting with the students.

“Seeing their passion for the industry and helping them make plans for the future is so fulfilling.”

And to finish, we asked Gail what kind of skills and knowledge they’re looking for in students, and her advice for those looking to get into the industry.

“Passion is the main thing, everything else we can teach but a love for tourism and people is a must.”

When it comes to advice, “a couple of the biggest things are to get out and experience as much as they can, take a road trip, go out hiking and start building knowledge as well as starting to  make connections now, whether that is their classmates, their tutors or the presenters from the expo, you never know when a connection is going to come in handy farther down the line. Setting up a quick LinkedIn and starting to build their networks will really help.”

Study with ITC for Industry Connections

At ITC, we know exactly what Gail means when she talks about connections being so important. That’s a big part of the reason why we host the Industry Expo Day – and so many other events – throughout the year.

Between that, our work experience opportunities, our dedicated Employment Consultant, and our entire team being comprised of industry pros, we set the standard for helping our students and graduates find fulfilling work.

Contact us today to learn more about how we take our students from enrolment to graduation to industry employment!

Meet Jessica Fuiono – ITC graduate and one of AJ Hackett’s newest team members!

Jessica Fuiono discovered her love of adventure tourism through ITC – and now works for AJ Hackett!

At first, Jessica Fuiono didn’t know what she wanted to do with her career. She tried another study path elsewhere, but quickly realised it just didn’t feel right for her. That’s when she came to us at ITC, where we introduced her to some of the many pathways you can take in travel and tourism. 

All it took was jumping off the Auckland Harbour Bridge to discover her passion: adventure tourism. 

Jessica then did her work experience with AJ Hackett Auckland, but even though they loved her, they didn’t have a job for her at the time. ITC Employment Consultant Sarndra knew that Jessica was considering a move to Brisbane when an AJ Hackett job came up in Queenstown… so Sarndra sent the application link though anyway.

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Your Quick Guide to New Zealand Employment

Not sure where to begin with the paperwork parts of your first job? Here are the basics!

Starting your first job is an exciting milestone. Along with earning your own money, though, there are a few practical things you need to understand about being employed.

Here’s a quick guide to some of the most important things to know.

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Introducing Kristeen Yelavich, ITC’s new Whangarei Tutor!

Kristeen Yelavich is ITC’s new Whangarei Tutor!

Kristeen Yelavich is our new tutor at ITC’s Whangarei Campus, and we’re so excited to have her on the team.

Kristeen comes to us with a truly impressive history as a traveller and as someone who has worked in the travel and tourism industry for her entire career. As a tutor, she will be guiding students, passing on her skills and knowledge, and helping them gain the qualifications that will get them a foot in the door of this exciting industry.

Read on to learn more about ITC’s newest Whangarei tutor!

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Have changes to the Jobseeker benefit made you consider further study?

Thinking about more study now that it’s harder to get Jobseeker benefits? Consider ITC!

Changes to the Jobseeker benefit are coming in November of this year, which may make it harder for some 18 and 19 year olds to receive support during their job search.

That might mean that some of you are looking at other options instead – such as studying travel and tourism!

And whether you’re fresh out of high school, or are already in a career and are looking for a change, or even if you’re simply wanting to upskill in your current career, ITC could help. 

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Introducing Vanessa: Former student and brand new Employment Consultant at ITC!

Vanessa getting into the spirit at ITC!

Last week, we continued our 30^th anniversary celebrations with a blog featuring three past ITC graduates, who all shared their memories and experiences. One of those graduates was Vanessa Barnett, who began studying with us in 2003.

She has since had an incredible career in travel and tourism, returned to ITC as a Course Advisor in 2023, and is now stepping into a new role with us as an Employment Consultant!  

We’re so excited to have her on the team, and to see her helping the next generation of graduates find work in the industry. Of course, we had to learn more – read on to find out about what she’s most excited for, how ITC sets itself apart, and her advice for students!

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Three ITC graduates reminisce about their time with us for our 30th anniversary!

Graduate Eileen on International Day, representing Italian fashion with her group!

Earlier this week, we took a walk down memory lane with two of our industry partners from past years. Today, we’re reminiscing with three ITC graduates – all of which graduated a decade ago or more!

Sharon completed Level 3 and Level 4 of Travel and Tourism in the year 2016, and Eileen studied with us from 2012 to 2014 up to level 6 as an international student.

And for Vanessa, it all began more than 20 years ago in 2003! That’s when she graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Travel & Tourism. She then spent more than 20 years in the industry, and came full circle as she returned to ITC to work as the City Campus Course Advisor in 2023.

Here are some of their favourite memories, what they’re up to now, and more!  

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ITC Celebrates 30 Years: Memory Lane with our Industry Partners

Roy’s most recent visit to ITC!

ITC is celebrating 30 years of being one of the most trusted providers of tourism and aviation education in New Zealand.

As part of our celebrations, we reached out to old graduates, tutors, industry partners, and others who have been part of our story… then we watched the memories roll in!

Two of the first to respond were Andrea Cameron and Roy Quispe. Both were industry partners, with Roy working with us through Disney International Programs.

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and recruiting many incredible ITC students and graduates over the years, helping them take their talents from New Zealand all the way to Walt Disney World!” said Roy.

Walk down memory lane with us as we share more about these two fantastic humans!

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