Ready to Check In unit ready for take off with Study From Home

Posted on 03/11/2021 by Hayley Clark

Recently, the team at Study From Home have been busy creating a unit called Ready to Check In, a course that is all about aviation.

This level 3 unit is finally ready to take off, so students will be able to complete this course and earn 5 credits as part of their New Zealand Certificate in Tourism with a strand in Aviation. The whole unit has been revamped to better suit the needs of the New Zealand aviation industry (it used to be more focused on Europe).

While there are many roles available across the aviation industry, Ready to Check In focuses specifically on the role of a Passenger Service Agent.

Students completing the unit will learn all the basics of the role, including the skills they’ll need, tasks they’ll complete, and overall purpose of their job.

What to expect from the Ready to Check In unit

This unit is ideal for anyone looking to work in aviation, but will be especially relevant to those hoping to become a Passenger Service Agent.

To work in this role, you’ll need:

• Communication skills
• Customer service skills
• IT skills (using check-in and reservation systems)
• Problem solving skills
• Good teamwork skills

The unit will cover all of these areas, including industry terms and abbreviations, checking in passengers, and more.

There are two assessments during the course, one of which is a roleplay where you will check in a passenger via live video, and the other of which is an open-book written assessment.

But one of the most important thing to know about this unit is that it’s not just words on a page – it’s actually fun.

Lynelle Panton, one of the Study From Home team who helped to create Ready to Check In, had this to say:

“For me the main thing I wanted to see is that the tool was fun and interactive. I hate not having fun while learning. There is nothing worse than just having plain boring info on a screen and nothing to really capture the learner’s attention. I think with this product we have managed to do this and I think that the students will have fun along the way. We have worked really hard to ensure we have produced a product that will work for all learning styles and have lots of different types of activities and resources.”

Andrew Houston, one of the key drivers behind the creation of the new unit, adds that the variety of resources in Ready to Check In have been designed to suit all learning styles. There are written resources, videos, quizzes, visual activities and more.

This all means that the course is engaging and interactive, and it allows learners to move at their own pace in their own time.

Ultimately, it’s a fun, practical, and informative unit that ensures students will finish their qualification and enter the aviation industry ready to get to work.

Earn your aviation qualification with Study From Home

At Study From Home and ITC, we have industry sources already talking about how major airlines are desperately seeking more crew as the world opens up and people start travelling more once again.

The industry is once again employing staff across all levels of the aviation sector, and if you’re interested in becoming one of them, now’s the time to complete a qualification. You can explore our courses online and sign up today.

The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll graduate with an industry recognised qualification and the skills you need to land a job. Get in touch with our friendly team to find our more or check yourself in (enrol!) for a career in aviation!

Study From Home – college@itc.co.nz 0800 TOURISM (0800 868747) or https://www.studyfromhome.co.nz/contact-us/

Posted in News | Tagged aviation, Aviation Training, Distance Learning, Study aviation, study online | Leave a reply

Meet your Study From Home team

Posted on 24/08/2021 by Mel Jenkins

When you earn your travel and tourism qualifications with Study From Home, you’ll spend your time in front of your laptop at home.

However, you’ll still enjoy the support and guidance of our Study From Home tutors, just like you would if you were studying in person. This close-knit team works hard to support our students as they move through their coursework, and will be there for advice, help, and motivation every step of the way.

Interested in learning more about your Study From Home tutors and team? Here’s a brief introduction!

Toni Young

Toni Young is the newest member of the Study From Home team, joining the crew in early 2021. Before that, she lived in Australia and the UK, and worked as a travel agent, a teacher, and for an airline and event management company.

No two days are the same for Toni. She might be working in Teams Assessment with a group of students, on a Zoom meeting with a student overseas, marking students’ work, or working on developing new course content. She sees her role as encouraging, motivating, facilitating, and counselling students.

“Their success is our success and we have lots of processes in place to help make this happen,” she explains.

Her favourite part of the job is seeing students achieve their qualifications and start their dream jobs in the industry, and her advice to students considering studying for a career in tourism and travel is to simply do it.

“There is no better time to be studying towards your travel and tourism qualifications. The industry needs qualified and motivated students and with this qualification you will be ideally placed to enter the exciting world of travel and tourism.”

When Toni isn’t helping and motivating students for Study From Home, she can often be found on the ski fields near her home town in Christchurch.

Joy Carter

Before becoming a Study From Home tutor, Joy spent almost 10 years teaching at the ITC Botany campus, so she has extensive experience with travel, tourism, and aviation courses. Prior to her work with ITC, she spent more than 10 years selling travel holidays.

Her days are always busy; doing roleplays with students, marking student coursework, responding to queries, and checking in on student progress. She helps to update and improve resources as well, but no matter how busy she is, “we are never too busy to have a chat with our students,” she says.

She knows that some students may need a hand with technical issues, and loves to help explain tricky terminology or clarify certain questions whenever students get stuck. But her favourite part of the job is getting to know the students, sharing their journeys, and celebrating their successes.

She says that for students considering studying online with SFH, the trick is to have plenty of support.

“Let family members and friends know that you are studying and the hours you have committed to. They probably don’t realise, and you may need them to help out if you encounter challenges along the way, such as a change of routine or sickness,” she said.

Joy’s no stranger to travel herself. She has been to many places over the years, but on one particularly memorable trip to Papua New Guinea, she and her husband and young daughter experienced a real culture shock. They were advised to lock themselves in at night, and on New Year’s Eve, the police came through their backyard chasing a “rascally”!

Lynelle Panton

Lynelle’s background is all about travel. She has worked in leisure travel, in hotels, for rental car companies, and even as a corporate travel consultant at American Express. That’s when she joined the ITC team as a campus tutor, before moving across to the Study From Home team where she is also a tutor.

As a part-timer, Lynelle juggles her work with SFH with her home life, where she’s full-on with three kids. She loves that she can spend time with her children after school and help with their activities, while still working in an industry she loves so much and knows so well.

When asked what she does to go the extra mile for her students, Lynelle explained that going the extra mile simply goes hand in hand with the travel and tourism industry, so it’s important to do that from the start. This can mean doing roleplays outside of normal hours, meeting students to help with assessments, and working with students one-on-one. She loves the work, and especially so when she sees the results and added confidence in the students.

“You can see them blossom after they have had that little bit of extra help,” she says.

For anyone considering signing up with Study From Home, she says that if it’s something you really want to do, then don’t let anything stop you. She recommends using the tutors who are there specifically to help – and they want to help.

Her favourite part of the job? Seeing students grow.

“A lot of students don’t realise how much they change from the start of the course to the end. It’s not just a knowledge thing – when you have learned something you gain confidence… and obviously I love to see them get their qualification and start working in the industry!”

And if you ever have a moment, be sure to ask Lynelle about her time working at a winery. She did the usual tasks such as wine tastings, but she would also occasionally jump in the ute with the dog in the back, then drive up and down the rows of vines banging the car door and getting the dog to bark like mad to scare away the birds.

Andrew Houston

Andrew began as a tutor for the Botany Campus five years ago, but he has since worked as the Tutorial Team Leader, and is now the Botany Campus Manager and Study From Home Manager. His work with Study From Home is backed by a long career in tourism and travel, where he worked in aviation security, and for Air New Zealand and Flight Centre.

His role is incredibly diverse. He supports the tutorial, recruitment, and student services teams for the Botany Campus, and the entire Study From Home Team. He even still teaches some diploma subjects and plays an important role in developing new course materials and resources.

Recently, he has been heavily involved with creating new interactive activities, video lessons, and enhanced subject guides for Study From Home students. Andrew, and the entire team, consistently work to make improvements for a better learning experience for everyone.

“I also empower the team to look for creative solutions to assist students who are facing personal challenges whilst studying,” he adds.

His favourite part of the job is seeing students start working in the world’s most exciting industry, and his advice for anyone considering study is to check out the Study From Home Free Trial, which gives you an idea of the style of learning you can expect as a student.

When he’s not busy with ITC and Study From Home work, Andrew is working on his fitness as he gets ready to run the Queenstown Marathon in November.

Ready to meet the team for real? Get in touch with us to hear more about our distance learning options, to enrol, and to meet your new Study From Home tutors!

Study From Home – college@itc.co.nz 0800 TOURISM (0800 868747) or https://www.studyfromhome.co.nz/contact-us/

 

 

Posted in News | Tagged Airline training, Aviation Training, Distance Learning, Flexible study, home office, ITC Award winning training, Meet the team, online learning, online support, Passion for travel, study from home, tourism education, travel | Leave a reply

Getting career confidence back with ITC

Posted on 20/02/2014 by Jess O'Connor

Every year many students complete one of ITC’s distance online learning (DOL) courses for the travel, tourism and aviation industries. Gaining the confidence to get out and apply for jobs can be tough, so we make career preparation an important focus of the course.

More than half of our DOL students study from home because they are looking after young children. After a few years staying at home, many lose confidence in their employment prospects.

DOL graduate Lynda says, “I felt like I had had so much time off that I had become a recluse and didn’t know how to be in the public eye anymore or approach customers with confidence. I even thought I would forget everything I had learnt in previous employment.”

Another graduate Margaret adds: “I didn’t apply for a job for months after completing my course, as I thought they would decline my application as I had not been in the work force for so long.”

Many parents want to take care of their child at home. But DOL graduate Hazel found that getting out there had a positive impact on both her and her child. “Getting a job meant I could earn much more money to support myself and my child, while also gaining a social life outside of our house. I think many single mothers don’t want to send their child to childcare so soon. It seems hard at first but you and your child will adapt,” she says.

Lynda says that the ITC course helped her a great deal. “Training with ITC contributed a lot to gaining my confidence back. Having the phone assessments and orientation, and even graduation, and being amongst other people was a boost. With anticipation I wanted to get back into the work force and show off some recapped skills,” she says.

Lynda is also an advocate of gaining work experience while you study and says that having a part-time, casual job gave her a big confidence boost.

Margaret found that getting out there and applying for jobs was a useful learning experience in itself. “I wasn’t successful in my first application. I didn’t let that get me down: I used it as a learning curve. I took out my ITC notes on career preparation to make sure I was ready. For my next application, I knew exactly what I was going to say to any question asked, and was able to reply back in full confidence.”

Margaret now works for the call centre at Qantas Airways, Lynda is working for Flight Centre in Perth (WA) and Hazel works at Auckland Airport for Menzies Aviation.

As Margaret says: “Don’t let fear get in the way of your dreams. If you prepare for your interview, all will fall into place and your dreams will come true!”

Posted in Study From Home Tips | Tagged Airline jobs, Airline training, Aviation Training, Distance Learning, Employment, ITC, ITC Award winning training, Passion for travel | Leave a reply

ITC Ready to Launch ITC Online Training

Posted on 26/01/2014 by Jess O'Connor

International Travel College is set to launch its new online short courses in August.

The online courses will cover training for cabin crew, ground crew, tour guiding, cruises, and careers in travel and tourism. Two online soft skills courses on winning with customers and sales skills have also been developed.

ITC’s Distance Learning Programme Manager Carla Sutton says the courses have been created in direct response to the needs of industry.

“We have strong connections across New Zealand with airline, travel and tourism operators. We asked them what they wanted from us and we were prepared to do what it took to provide it.”

The clear indication from industry was that ITC should offer courses that would allow all those involved in travel and tourism to benefit – from those just starting to explore their interest to those already working in the industry.

“Developing these courses for online delivery was the best way to do that,” says Carla. “It makes them accessible and affordable to anyone without the constraints of time or money to do onsite training.”

“Because people can study from any PC, Mac, tablet or smart phone it’s perfect for those entering the industry, people wanting to update their skills, or employers wanting to help their staff update their skills.”

The courses ranges from Bronze to Silver and Gold, with Bronze providing basic course lessons and the Silver and Gold levels offering more personalised study and assessment. Students who complete the Silver and Gold levels will also receive a Certificate of Completion.

The courses have been extensively trialled with the help of ITC’s staff and on-campus students.

“As with all of our training, the online courses have been designed with real-world practical applications in mind,” says Carla. “They have been written and designed by authors with a huge range of industry experience, real work skills and great teaching experience.”

Feedback so far has been excellent and ITC is looking forward to launching its new courses in August 2014. ww.itconlinetraining.com

 

Posted in News | Tagged Airline training, Aviation Training, Cabin crew training, Employment, ITC Award winning training, ITC Online training, ITCNZ, Online courses, Online training, Short courses, Tourism training, Travel Training | Leave a reply

Are you ready to fly high?

Posted on 19/11/2013 by Jess O'Connor

The International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) offers travel, tourism, and airline courses, and we work hard to get our graduates jobs in those industries. We want them all to fly high with their career, life and goals!

ITC offers its courses on campus and by distance online learning. If you are at home with young children, live too far from a campus, or you work and cannot attend daily classes, then distance online learning would be an ideal option for you.

These courses include all the learning resources, tutorial support, online communication and assessments you will need. You will be part of a class with fellow distance learning students from all around the country.

There are only two workshops to attend: Orientation Day, where you will get to meet your classmates, and the Customer Service workshop later in the course. Both workshops are at our Auckland campuses. This is what one of our graduates has to say about studying with ITC: “I want to say thank you to ITC for helping me get to my dream job.  Doing the ITC course has really paid off and now I wake up every morning excited about going to work. Words cannot express my gratitude.”

ITC has been a premium supplier in the airline, airport and travel and tourism industries for over 16 years. The college has strong connections in those industries and focuses on making its training relevant to employers. We also offer a job placement service to assist you in finding a job in travel, tourism or aviation!

Find out how you can launch your career by phoning the ITC team now on 0800 868 747, or check our website www.itc.co.nz and enquiry online.

Posted in Student Success | Tagged Airline training, Aviation Training, Distance Learning, ITC, New Zealand Tourism Training, Passion for travel, Tourism training, Workshops | Leave a reply

ITC to offer Aviation Course via Distance Learning

Posted on 20/05/2013 by Jess O'Connor

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.

Posted in News | Tagged Aviation Training, Distance Learning, ITC, ITC Award winning training, Online training, Students in work, Tourism training | Leave a reply