Sudima Lake Rotorua hotel manager Atalo de la Rocha, director of human resources Maree Judd and Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust deputy chairman Pita Anaru at the scholarship launch.
Sudima Lake Rotorua hotel manager Atalo de la Rocha, director of human resources Maree Judd and Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust deputy chairman Pita Anaru at the scholarship launch.
Young Maori with a link to Ngati Whakaue and a passion for tourism are being encouraged to apply for a special scholarship offering both on the job experience and fully paid training.
The partnership between Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust and Sudima Hotels and Resorts sees a person receive upto one year's paid work experience at Sudima Lake Rotorua and a full scholarship to any New Zealand tertiary institute to complete a minimum degree level qualification in hotel or hospitality management.
Sudima director of human resources Maree Judd said the scholarship, which began in 2014, was a great opportunity for Maori to pursue a career in tourism.
She said it was already reaping rewards with the first recipient from 2014 proving an "absolute superstar" and in his second year of a university degree. This year's scholarship was launched on Friday and Ms Judd said she saw it as a great way to showcase the hotel and what the scholarship had to offer.
"The programme has been extremely successful for the last two years and we see this as a pivotal programme in years to come across the wider Rotorua community enabling more local talent to start a career in hotel."
While the scholarship had been previously aimed at school leavers Ms Judd said they had widened it this year recognising that there were likely to be people with "some life experience" who would benefit.
Ms Judd said she had been surprised with the calibre of applicants over the years.
"Our first recipient Awatere Douglas was an absolutely superstar and set the benchmark exceedingly high."
