Sir George Seymour graduates ready to take on the world

Students from the Sir George Seymour National College of Tourism and Travel in Wellington gathered with family and friends at Victoria University, just before Christmas, for their graduation ceremony that was the culmination of an effort-filled year's study.

And while they celebrated their success at the university's Memorial Theatre and as they prepare to embark on a career that lays the world at their feet, the rest of New Zealand gets to share in their success since those graduates will be an integral part of an industry that is now our country's top foreign dollar earner. Tourism in NZ brings in around $7.4 billion a year - that's almost a fifth of our country's foreign currency earnings - so it's vital that the people like these graduates, who are at the forefront of the industry, know their stuff.

The college was first established in Christchurch in 1991. Since then Sir George Seymour has opened campuses in Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Dunedin and is New Zealand's largest private tertiary establishment specializing in education programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries.

The Wellington campus provides courses that are full time 9am-4pm five days a week. The college has built a proud track record of producing high calibre graduates and boasts an incredibly high employment success rate for students.

An employment liaison person liaises with the industry enabling the college to place over 90 per cent of graduates each year

The college is named after the ship, Sir George Seymour, which brought immigrants along with New Zealand's first tourists to Christchurch in 1850.  It is fully registered and accredited with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and follows guidelines set by the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO). Students are eligible to apply for Government Student Loans and Allowances.  Sir George Seymour College has four core airline, travel and tourism courses as well as short courses, school programmes and other adult education courses which start throughout the year.

Courses are designed for those who like meeting and dealing with people and who want a rewarding and challenging career in tourism or travel. Students range in age from 17 years old to 50. Some have had experience in the workforce while others are school leavers or have completed other tertiary education.

Twelve classes graduated this year across the spectrum of courses on offer at the college - Certificate in Travel, Tourism and Business; Certificate in Advanced Travel, Tourism and Business; Certificate in Tourism Operations and Guiding and the Certificate in Cultural Tourism.

The Cultural Tourism course has been extended this year from a 30 week course to a 34 week course from which students will emerge with Tourism Maori level 3 certification.

Cultural Tourism is a course that has been taught since the college opened.  It is also a scholarship programme where students pay their fees and receive a $2500 refund once they pass.

We are very proud of our graduates and the hard work they have put in to get to where they are. They have achieved their goal of attaining a qualification that can take them anywhere they wish to go.

To contact the college ring 0800 10 20 20.