EDITORIAL
Advanced Diploma opens up new opportunities for Andrea Andrea Fitzpatrick has had the opportunity to work in hospitality and tourism roles throughout the world, but says there is something special about Tasmania. Although already experienced in the industry, Andrea says undertaking TasTAFE Drysdale’s Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management is opening up many new opportunities for her to forge a career in a place she has fallen in love with. Originally from the US, Andrea has worked in restaurants, hotels, cafes and bars around the world since 2015. She ended up in Tasmania during Covid and decided to stay. “I’ve grown to love Tasmania a lot, not that it was very hard to do anyway. This place is something special. I Iove how incredible the industry is here and I am so passionate about hospitality and tourism.” Andrea says going back to study at the age of 27 after already being established in the industry for many years felt a little weird at first. “Looking back now that I’ve almost finished the course, I’ve learnt a lot and I’ve had some really good experiences that I think have developed me as a person and made me better at what I do now and I’m getting much better job offers as a result.”
Andrea says the best thing about the Advanced Diploma course is that it is practical and offers opportunities to work on real projects and connect with industry. “I’ve really appreciated the opportunities we’ve had to go on excursions and meet people from industry who are up and coming or who’ve been working in the industry for a long time. “As part of the course, we went to the Tasmanian Tourism Conference in Launceston and to be in a roomfor twodayswith someof themost influential people in the industry was really exciting. These are people I want to work with someday, so it was really great to have these opportunities to meet these people and ask themwhatever we wanted.” Now Andrea hopes to find a job where she can combine her existing skills with the new ones she acquired at Drysdale. “I would really enjoy working in industry directly with incredible Tasmanian producers, being a part of uniquely Tasmanian events, and managing a Tasmanian hospitality and tourism venue. I’d really love to be a part of something unique, creative and authentically Tasmania.” TasTAFE Drysdale’s next Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management begins on 18 July in Hobart. For more information or to submit an expression of interest, visit www.tastafe.tas.edu. au or phone 1300 655 307.
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Hospitality Review: April 2022
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