Whitireia and WelTec hospitality and cookery programmes return to Petone campus

The decision to leave the previous location on Cuba Street in Central Wellington came about following the end of the lease and a willingness to be joined up with other tutors and students on a WelTec campus in a community central to the Wellington region.

“Re-creating our hospitality hub on the Petone campus, which is central to the Wellington region as a whole, will draw students from a wide catchment in the Wellington region,” says Mick Jays, Head of School, Creative and Hospitality.

“It is on street level and has parking, making it more accessible for our students and creates a better link to the campus and surrounding neighbourhoods. We have upgraded the site significantly to create three cutting edge industrial teaching kitchens and a service kitchen and as part of the return, the training restaurant and cafe, along with a new pop-up bakery, will be open to the public on certain days of the week.”

“Having the students practice their cookery and hospitality skills in our on-campus eateries will be fantastic experience for them and will connect them nicely to the ‘foodie’ hub of Petone,” says Ben Shadbolt, who is leading the project.

“Hospitality is now so much more than cookery. The flexibility in course offerings allows student to ‘earn while they learn’ and leads to a diversity of careers.

“Most of our managed traineeship chef students will already be working, getting qualified while they continue to work. Hospitality level 3 can either be done full time for 17 weeks or two days a week for 34 weeks. The diploma in Hospitality Management level 5 and the Diploma in Cookery level 5 occupy students two days a week allowing students time to work and get on-the-job experience. We also offer a food and beverage level 4 qualification delivered one day a week over 17 weeks with 12 hours on-the-job training.

“As part of helping students into work or work experience during or following their study, we link locally and regionally with employers which span a wide range of food service, food production, restaurants, hotels, aged care and conference centres,” says Ben.

Commenting on the move, Tony Parun, director of Petone-based food company, Brezelmania commented: “We have a longstanding and very good relationship with WelTec with many graduates successfully take up jobs with us. Petone is a vibrant place with many food businesses and restaurants, I think it is a great area for WelTec to run its hospitality programmes from here.”

Helen Lim, who went to secondary school in Tawa, studied level 3 Hospitality at the WelTec Cuba Street Campus and now she is studying level 4 Cookery at the relocated site in Petone, and is enrolled for further hospitality studies into level 5 starting in March.

“I am excited to be working toward my diploma in hospitality at WelTec and by the time I am complete I will have some knowledge of both cooking, as well as the business side. This complements the cooking work I am doing with Tākina Events where I am now employed having done work experience last year. The new Petone hub for my WelTec study is friendly, and I like that there is parking and it is surrounded by a neighbourhood and near a high street with lots going on.”

Study Hospitality in Petone

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