PICTURED: PENNICOTT WILDERNESS JOURNEY CUSTOMERS GET A VISIT FROM DOLPHINS
At the end of Year 12, using her skills gained from the Chinese course, she decided to have gap year and went to work in China as an Au pair, an opportunity to not only to use her Chinese (although of course all they wanted to do was learn English) but to explore some of the world on her own. On returning home an opportunity at Pennicott arose so she applied. Lily counts the fact that having done a successful work placement, as well as her success in her Chinese, were two strong factors in securing that work. Even though Lily says her Chinese isn’t amazing she found that Chinese visitors were very happy when she was able to engage in their native tongue, if only basic, and that extended hospitality made such a difference. While at university Lily also had the chance to travel to Taiwan studying at the ShiDa university in Taipei for four months, where she learnt an immense amount of language skills in a short time. “As far as I know, Pennicott Wilderness Journeys is one of the largest tourism businesses in Tasmania, and a major drawcard for people to the state,” Lily says. “Having good, friendly, competent staff as the face of the company is a key component to ensuring return visitation and happy visitors. This was and is still important to me.”
Kirsten Bacon
Participating in work placement at school was such a valuable experience for a young woman like Lily Barnett, something possibly that was never really in the plan or expected. Lily was a student at Elizabeth College in Hobart, Tasmania in year 11/12. While studying pre-tertiary subjects, Chinese being one of them, she also embarked on a VET Tourism Course. Within the course she was given the opportunity to explore a work placement and chose Pennicott Wilderness Journeys (PWJ) at their Bruny Island Cruises operation for six weeks. When I spoke to Lily, I asked her if it was something she has always want to do and her response, a response I hear from many young people, is until she had the opportunity for work placement it had not crossed her mind. It was a direct result of her work placement from her VET course.
21 Tasmanian Hospitality Review June/July Edition
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