Our daughter leaves high school this year and wants a career in tourism.
She can get into any number of courses on the subject, but we wonder which is the best. Maybe none of the ones we’re considering are any good.
How do we go about finding out the quality of a particular tertiary provider? We don’t want to spend a lot of money and find there’s no job at the end of it.
You are touching on an issue which thousands of parents of school graduates wrestle with.
I suspect in attractive courses, such as tourism, there are far more places offered in tertiary student institutions than there are jobs to go to.
This in itself is wrong in my books, so you’re right to be very wary.
I would call up Tourism New Zealand and regional tourism bodies, and ask their hiring staff for some guidance.
They may put you onto their recruitment agents for more detailed knowledge. Basically, you need to find out what they look for and what courses and providers have the best reputations?
Secondly, contact the tertiary institutions your daughter is considering and ask them some direct questions, such as what percentage of the students who completed the course last year got jobs in tourism?
And don’t accept any waffle. Perhaps talk to a former student or two.
I know this is all a bit of a pain, but as you say, student fees are substantial and you need to make sure the course is up to standard.
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