This year at Miami High School, Cheryl Yamazaki is delivering in conjunction with Redmako a Certificate II in Tourism and Certificate III in Events over two years. We caught up with Cheryl to find out how the students are finding the course and what her plans are for next year.
How are the students responding to the course?
“Very well,” Cheryl shared. The student numbers have fluctuated, some students have filtered out, but she believes those in the class now are doing it for the right reasons and are enjoying it. Those reasons being for the job outcomes they’re considering in the cruise industry, events, tourism and hospitality fields.
What have they been doing so far?
The Certificate II in Tourism is the focus for the first year; however, the students have already helped run several events. As part of their Certificate III in Events next year they will be responsible for running the same events in full.
The students assisted with the Lightning Carnival (a local primary schools sporting day) and Regional Tournament of Minds competition, both of which Miami High School hosted. They also volunteered at the National yearly fundraising event of the Lapidary Club.
What happens next?
Next year she hopes they will run the event for the Lapidary Club from formation to the end. The students also have one major project for the year. They must come up with one outside provider either a tourism company or event company that’s going to have an event towards the end of next year. The concept is that each student will gain work experience from the beginning of a large event or conference through the planning stages to completion.
Why Certificate II in Tourism and Certificate III in Events?
Cheryl has extensive experience in the local tourism industry on the Gold Coast having owned an Inbound Tour Company (ITO) who looked after the Japanese inbound area. She sees teaching this course as being a way to pay it back to the industry that she was part of for a long time. “I think (the combination of) Tourism and Events for these students gives them a huge opportunity.” Tourism is the backbone industry on the Gold Coast, and Cheryl believes a Certificate II in Tourism supports the opportunities provided by the Certificate III in Events. The focus needs to be on events as “there are huge opportunities (available) in events,” she said.
The additional benefits of this dual qualification include the opportunity to access VETis funding for eligible students and for students to boost their ATAR scores potentially.
How does the future of Tourism and Events look?
According to Cheryl, these industries are moving into the service age. “It’s less about production and more about service. People want to have real experiences, not just things to see and do. They want to have an emotional attachment to their experiences, and we need to learn to create (that) for people. That you come through an experience somehow impacted and changed from it.”
How is working with Redmako?
“It’s been great. Very professional, very helpful, very supportive. They have gotten back to me quickly on any questions I’ve had. Very open to receiving my feedback or asking me how I felt or what I would like to see. It’s been great.”