Certificate III in Tourism
Erinah Gladys Kalo says studying at APTC has developed her communication, customer service and time management skills, boosted her self-confidence and helped her to think creatively.
Ms Kalo, who graduated with a Certificate III in Tourism in 2016, is a Business Development Executive at the Holiday Inn Resort in Vanuatu.
In this role, she works towards building the profile of the resort through developing and maintaining relationships with industry stakeholders, supervises the operation team for events, report and monitor sales activities and successes and assist with other marketing activities.
During her training with APTC, Ms Kalo gained sound knowledge of industry operations to coordinate tourism services, and learned how to use plans, policies and procedures to guide work activities and says this has helped her greatly.
She says she is now able to multitask and make sure that customers make the best out of their visit, as she has learned to prioritise her workload, balance work and personal life, manage office operations and be confident.
“Thanks to APTC, I know my rights as an employee and can work to industry standards. I can conduct safe work practices and have better communication skills. There were also some units in the program which allowed me to better understand how things work practically, which I was not aware of earlier while working in the industry,” she said.
She says she learned to stay up to date with current industry news at APTC and has now developed the habit of reading the newspapers, researching on travel websites such as Trip Advisor, and following the Vanuatu Tourism Office on social media daily.
“Gaining an Australian qualification that is internationally recognised has been a great achievement for me both personally and professionally.”
Ms Kalo also says the high level of professionalism and support provided by APTC staff during her six-month training has been one of the many highlights of studying with APTC.
Congratulating APTC on its 10th anniversary, Ms Kalo says she is grateful to APTC and the Australian Government for providing her with the opportunity to enhance her education and work experience.
“As a proud graduate, I would like APTC to continue to provide its professional training in Vanuatu and throughout the Pacific. There are many individuals out there in the Pacific like me who need a second chance at education and APTC is providing that.”
