ITI Articles

The team at New Zealand Management Academies’ Auckland Central Academy hosted their inaugural industry function for 2008 on April 18.  The evening event, which also celebrated the opening of the academy’s new Anzac Avenue premises, drew a huge crowd, particularly from the hospitality industry.

“The main purpose of these events is to provide an authentic assessment environment for our students,” says Associate Academy Manager Leanda Bredenhann. 

“To ensure our students graduate with the skills required by industry, we hold several functions throughout the year and invite a wide range of industry professionals to attend.  Students are formally assessed during the functions, which range from cocktail parties to three-course sit down lunches or wine and cheese afternoons. 

“Although they are run primarily for training and assessment purposes, these events also give employers the chance to check out potential staff.  Many of our students have been offered jobs as a direct result of being noticed by an employer at one of our industry functions.”

Last month’s event was attended by a large number of employers including representatives from the Hilton, SkyCity, the Crowne Plaza, the Stamford Plaza, the Hangar Bar, Waitakere’s Lincoln Green Hotel and the owners of the Belgian Beer Bars.  The Hyatt also attended – and was so impressed by two of the students that they asked them to come in for interviews the following week.

NZMA Managing Director Tim Cullinane said the evening was particularly significant for the company because, thanks to the new premises, all three of its brands – NZMA, FERN English Academy and newly established employment service Red Fish – were now operating under the one roof.