Developing customer services skills, gaining knowledge about different countries, and meeting people of many different nationalities are some of the key benefits of the Year 12–13 Travel and Tourism course, which have helped William Read in his career. William has had a lifelong love of aviation and works at Christchurch International Airport in passenger services for PlaneBiz, a company providing a complete suite of ground handling services to the major airlines. He has significant responsibility, which includes looking after the needs of passengers on private charters and business jets which fly into the airport. “The knowledge I gained about different countries and cultures in Travel and Tourism is really valuable, as I am constantly meeting people from all over the world. I love my job as every day is different and unpredictable, with the potential for things to turn upside down in a moment.”

William also slots in with the other passenger services teams at the airport, working on check-in, and at the gates. “I would definitely recommend the Travel and Tourism course at St Andrew’s to current students. It’s a great course, particularly for those interested in a career that is a bit more hands on.”