Kangan Batman students blitz State tourism awards
16 November 2005
Nine students from Kangan Batman TAFE took out major prizes in the prestigious State Government Tourism Students Business Initiative awards last Monday at the Novotel on Collins including the overall winner's prize.
Belinda Calvert of Essendon , won first prize of a return airfare to Europe and spending money to the value of $4,000 and will have the opportunity for paid work placement for a minimum of three months.
Belinda's business plan was for the 'Conversation Starter' café and restaurant which is to be based in Mt Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds. Her concept for a dating café and restaurant aims to provide a safe, relaxed and intimate setting for mature people to meet, converse and mingle. The restaurant incorporated the use of conversation starter cards with topics to help clients initiate contact without those awkward silences.
Belinda's teachers describe her as an extremely motivated and mature student. Tourism teacher, Pauline Porcaro says Belinda fully deserved the win after working extremely hard since the beginning of the project. 'She left no stone unturned in her research which was so extensive she started bringing a small suitcase on wheels to class every day to carry it with her!'
'Belinda took six months off at the beginning of this year having completed the fast-track diploma in 2004, and had to wait till mid year for the Advanced Diploma to start. However, she was so keen about the project, she accompanied us on our first semester trip to Halls Gap in order to start thinking about her business idea,' said Ms Porcaro.
'Belinda is really excited about her prize as she's never been out of the country before,' she said. Belinda aims to go to La Trobe next year to complete her degree.
Two other Kangan Batman TAFE students were finalists in the awards. Louise Jenkinson of Sunbury was a finalist for her 'Twisted Whiskers' jazz bar idea and Jedda Doidge of Montmorency for her 'Sweet Chocolate Café' concept. Jedda won a weekend accommodation package for two at the Johanna Seaside Cottages and Louise won a weekend accommodation package for two at the Mansion Hotel, Werribee Park.
A highly commended award was presented to Afroza Khanam (an international student from Bangladesh) for her International Students Accommodation and Dining concept. Afroza won a Grampians Adventure Services activity voucher.
Kangan Batman TAFE students also took out five of the eight Merit Certificates which offer a chance for work placement in the tourism industry. The students were:
- Asad Abbas
- for his 'Italian Flavours' (international student from Pakistan)
- Rizwan Nazir
- for his 'Global Halal Restaurant' (international student from Pakistan)
- Hamid Tabassum
- for his 'Urban Grooves' (international student from Pakistan)
- Uthumphorn (June) Wanittiya-Ubon
- of Fitzroy for her 'Moo Delight Café'
- Loan Nguyen
- of Sunshine West for her 'Healthy Me Gym & Health Food Bar'
Service Skills Victoria has established the "Developing Tourism Business Leaders" Awards aimed at students studying tourism, hospitality and culinary arts in Victoria.
The awards are an innovative employment development exercise for final year students to develop innovative small business concepts and business plans for tourism products. The business plans were judged by a panel of industry representatives on the feasibility of the business, product innovation and knowledge of the tourism industry.
Kangan Batman TAFE has a proud history of success in the awards taking out major prizes each year since its inception:
- In 1999, two students from Kangan Batman TAFE shared first prize.
- In 2000, a Diploma of Tourism student repeated this success, winning the first prize of an $8,000 overseas study tour.
- In 2001, Kangan Batman TAFE students won 2nd, 5th and 6th position.
- In 2002, Kangan Batman TAFE students won 2nd, 3rd, 4th prizes and a commendation prize out of the competition's six prizes. (The competition did not run in 2003.)
- In 2004, Kangan Batman TAFE students won 1st, 2nd and 4th places.
Manager of Hospitality, Travel and Tourism department, Christine Pontin said the large number of wins by their students was very exciting for everyone involved. 'It's wonderful for the students to receive this recognition for all their hard work over the last two years,' said Ms Pontin. 'You can really see the knowledge the students have gained being applied in these very professional business plans.'
'What is particularly exciting is to see the four international students do so well as they all come from a commercial cookery background and moved over to tourism to round off their studies,' she said.
'The program is excellent in preparing students for starting their own domestic tourism business. With the current problems in international tourism created by tragic world events the focus has shifted to the local tourism industry and these students are well placed to make their concepts a reality,' said Ms Pontin.
The awards are sponsored by Melbourne Airport, Tourism Victoria and the City of Melbourne. Supporting sponsors are the Accor, Tourism Alliance Victoria and the Victorian Tourism Industry Council. Prize sponsors are Watson's Mountain Country Trail Rides, Yering Station, Melbourne Aquarian, and Grampians Adventure Services.
