From Foxton to Waiheke Island (and the world) for Carla

Carla ready to serve at HLC in 2018

After moving from Auckland to Foxton in late 2017, Carla Marupo-Gataulu (then only 16) was looking for the next step in her life.  When a friend suggested looking at HLC for options to study, Carla decided to come in for a chat. “I signed up for the NZ Certificate in Food and Beverage Level 3 because I thought the barista skills would be good to have on my CV”.

Carla describes her first day as “one of the best days ever, awesome tutors, students and just a fun way of teaching with plenty of laughs, I knew I was in the right place, It was nothing like school.”

Getting hands on experience in the HLC training restaurant “152 on Bath” gave Carla the confidence to apply for work in Waiheke Island while visiting her mother over the term break. Waiheke Island Resort loved her so much that they offered her employment on the spot.  However Carla (who dreams of being a Food and Beverage Manager in a large hotel) chose to continue her study onto the NZ Certificate in Food and Beverage Level 4. She felt that gaining her Liquor Controller Qualification (LCQ) would make her more valuable as an employee.

It was Carla who got the initial call for help from Waiheke Island Resort to support them in hosting the Australian Wallabies on their recent visit to NZ. Work experience was a requirement of the programme so Carla was granted leave to work, then came the phone call “have you got any more Carla’s?” What started as a very casual conversation soon turned into a full 9 day work experience trip for the whole class!

Carla has now returned to Waiheke Island for full time employment over the busy summer period. She has enrolled in MIT’s Diploma in Hospitality Management programme in 2019 to gain a higher level knowledge base.

Carla is the perfect example of a student that is prepared to take full advantage of the learning, teaching and support that HLC offers. HLC provided Carla with free transport back and forth from Foxton to Levin each day, gave her access to free Wi-Fi and chrome books to study with during and after classes and helped her to write her CV and application letters for scholarships. Carla has taken her knowledge gained at HLC, surrounded herself with supportive people and has built the beginnings of an exciting career in the Hospitality industry.  Watch this space………