Learning about the marine eco tourism industry from the best

Learning all about the marine eco tourism industry from the best there is

New Zealand’s largest dive operator, Dive! Tutukaka, in partnership with NorthTec, the region’s largest tertiary education provider, are collaborating to prepare students for working in the marine eco tourism industry. They will get to learn from the very best in the business.

With Dive! Tutukaka on board to assist with the first industry-specific training of its kind in Northland, the one year Certificate in Marine Adventure and Eco Tourism (Level 4), gives students quality opportunities to develop essential work skills and gain further qualifications for promising careers in outdoor and maritime industries.

Dive! Tutukaka said it was NorthTec's commitment to make tertiary education accessible to all Northlanders that resonated with them to form the industry training partnership.

"Conservation and education are cornerstone philosophies for us," the multi award-winning company stated when it announced the partnership.

Dive! Tutukaka stated on its website that students on the course, which starts at the end of July, will be able to gain work experience and sea hours with the company and have ‘a high chance’ of gaining employment after graduating.

The 120 credit level 4 certificate will be delivered from the Tutukaka Marina base four days a week.

While learning about the industry, students will be able to gain a number of additional and much sought-after industry qualifications such as a Boat Masters Certificate, Marine VHF Radio Operators Certificate, and a first aid (workplace) certificate.

As a bonus, in Semester Two of the course, students will also be able to obtain their open water PADI dive qualification which is tied into the course's fee structure.

NorthTec has been running this programme since the beginning of 2011 based in the Bay of Islands and it aims to produce graduates that:

• Have a strong overall knowledge of Northland's marine environment, its ecology, conservation and cultural significance;

• Develop personal leadership and organisational skills in a broad range of maritime activities;

• Have a knowledge and practice of safety and survival in a coastal marine environment along a stretch of pristine coastline that National Geographic Traveller magazine determined as one of the top coastal destinations on the planet

Specifically, the course will contain the following modules: Marine Safety and Survival; Marine Ecology; Marine Eco Tourism; Marine Recreation; New Zealand History and Culture including a research project, and Professional Studies.

NorthTecs’ Environmental and Sport and Recreation Programme Leader Dan Clark, said that what is really exciting for those on this "truly unique" course is that Dive Tutukaka, has a wealth of experienced personnel that the students will be learning from every day of the course. What better start could anyone ask for in any industry? He said the students would be learning all they need to know from the very best in the business.

He said that completing the course will open up for graduates a number of avenues for potential employment. These jobs included: crewing for tourist operators, ecological and marine protection and restoration personnel, tour guiding, marine tourist coordinator, dive boat deck hands, dolphin watch deck hands and other associated lines of work.

There are limited places on the next intake of the course so to secure yours phone 0800 162 100 or get onto the NorthTec website www.northtec.ac.nz and enrol.

ENDS

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