We spoke to Level 3 Travel and Tourism student, Ethan Haywood, about his new job at Gulliver’s Kingdom. Ethan also spoke to us about his time on the course so far and what it’s like being a dual placement student.
Why did you choose to do the Travel and Tourism course at Chesterfield College?
“It’s something I’ve always been interested in. However, my main interest came after I went on a trip abroad. As well as being a student at Chesterfield College, I go to an SEN school and last year they did a ski trip to Italy. I went and I really enjoyed it. When I got back, I thought this is something I really want to do as a career, so I started looking for courses.”
Dual placement
“At the minute I’m a dual placement student. I go to my SEN school one day a week when I’m not at college and I’m also learning Russian one afternoon a week there.”
How are you finding your course so far?
“I’m really enjoying it. It’s really interesting and very practical. Recently, we’ve been doing a lot of theory work but that’s because we’re setting up for the more practical activities coming up in the future.
At the minute, we’re focusing on the role of cabin crew. We’ve studied the theory behind what cabin crew need to know, but now we’re moving onto practical learning. For example, we’re going to be learning how to give a safety demonstration. After cabin crew, we’re going to learn about resort reps.
We’ve also started doing a bit about UK travel and tourism and the cruise industry.”
Job skills
“We’ve had specific workshops all about job skills and how to get your foot in the door of the working world. That’s been very helpful because we’ve learnt how to write a CV. We also had a mock interview where we practiced how to tackle the sorts of questions interviewers tend to ask. In fact, I used the CV I developed during those sessions to apply for Gulliver’s.”
How did you get your current role at Gulliver’s Kingdom Resort?
“A few weeks ago, people from Gulliver’s came in to have a chat with us about what it’s like to work in the industry and they had some jobs on offer. Gulliver’s is fairly close to where I live, so I thought I’d might as well give it a go and see if I could get a job there. I thought, this is a new opportunity for me, it looks interesting and I’ve heard positive things about Gulliver’s, so why not? I applied and had an interview. They liked my application and the interview went well, so they offered me the job.”
What will you be doing at Gulliver’s?
“I’ll be hosting the rides and attractions, I’m not sure which ones yet, but I’ll find out more at the weekend. I start the induction this weekend and I’ve got two formal days of training and then I can start next Thursday.
I’m looking forward to it, I think it’s going to be a really interesting experience.”
What are your plans for the future?
“I’m not sure yet what I want to do in the future, but I think I’ll learn more about my options whilst doing the course. Once I get a better idea of what roles are on offer in the industry, I think I’ll know what I want to pursue.”