Out-there student knows exactly where she’s heading

Carla Norton is very clear about why she wants a career in tourism - it’s the people.

“I love people. I like travelling and being out there among people. Tourism allows you to use your creative flair and to meet a lot of different and interesting people,” says the 23 year old Rotorua student.

Now a third of the way through a year of studies which will result in a National Certificate in Tourism and Travel, Carla is adamant that tourism is where she wants to focus her career in future.

As such, she’s one of a growing number of young people who see this industry as one in which they can find not only work, but satisfaction and solid career prospects, long-term.

Carla’s dream has been assisted, in no small way, by a national scholarship from the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation.

Her’s is one of the five $3000 scholarships provided by ATTTO each year and for Carla it is proving to be a tremendous help as she works her way through her course at Rotorua’s Waiariki Institute of Technology.

The young Rotorua woman - who traces her descent from Tuhoe - admits that she was something of a lost soul during her teenage time, spending the last four years working at various jobs, mainly in the retail sector, across the Tasman in Sydney.

But now she’s back in New Zealand and has her feet firmly on the ground. And her sights are set firmly on a career in tourism.

“I’ve known that this is what I have wanted to do for years, but I was too busy doing the teenager thing,” she says. “My course is my first step toward getting into tourism as a long-term career.”

Carla says she initially wanted to be a travel agent, but she now thinks that may be too restrictive and it’s more likely that she will opt for a hands-on role in tourism.