The Modern Apprenticeship Programme
Helping House of Travel consultant Emily-Louise Glengarry reach her goals
Emily-Louise Glengarry had the same wildly varied career dreams as most young students considering their future. As a child she was set on becoming a model. Her interest then switched to banking, and then temporarily settled on news reporting.
“At the end of the day, I have always loved tourism and travel and meeting people from all different cultures,” says Emily-Louise Glengarry, now a 21 year old Travel Consultant at House of Travel, Wanganui.
When she left school, Emily briefly worked in hospitality and then at an i- SITE visitor information centre where she began studying for a National Certificate in Tourism and Travel on the job.
“I was then approached to join House of Travel which gave me the opportunity to work with international destinations instead of purely domestic. I was able to cross-credit my National Certificate towards a Tourism Modern Apprenticeship (MA) so it was the perfect next step.”
Emily is in the final stages of a Modern Apprenticeship, a programme she says has given her a broad understanding of the different elements of the industry, from IATA regulations to consumer law.
“Studying on the job is the only way to learn first-hand how everything fits together,” she says.
“The real-life pressures and time limits are things you just can’t experience through study alone. You need that on-job experience to really understand what the industry is all about.”
Emily admits that although there is a lot to take in, continuous learning is simply the nature of the travel industry.
“Things are constantly changing so whether it’s through a MA or other training programme, we are always encouraged to broaden our knowledge. Constantly learning about new places is my favourite aspect of the job anyway; it certainly keeps things interesting.”
Emily believes that to succeed in the travel industry you need to have great people skills, good time management, patience, well-developed selling skills, and of course a love of travel.
“Working in travel is a great way to see the world yourself. The industry is full of fun and interesting people of all ages who all have a love for discovering new destinations and sharing those with customers.”
Emily plans to continue learning as much as she can at House of Travel, using her experience to further her career in the industry and see more of the world.
Long term, she hopes her travel background will lead towards her dream job as a television presenter on a travel program.
“It may not be too likely, but that’s what I would absolutely love to do!” she says
