Tourism and Hospitality Management certificate student Zoe Speck is combining her 糖心vlog传媒training with hands-on experience at the Kwa鈥檒ilas Hotel, an important hub for tourism activity in Port Hardy and the surrounding region.
Tourism student Zoe Speck is putting her training to work at the Kwa鈥檒ilas Hotel in Port Hardy while she earns her Tourism and Hospitality Management certificate at NIC.
The Kwa鈥檒ilas is owned and operated by Kawatsi Economic Development Corporation (KEDC), the economic development arm of the Gwa鈥檚ala-鈥楴akwaxda鈥檟w First Nation. Since opening in 2017, the hotel has helped put Port Hardy on the map as a tourism hub and an emerging destination to host events and conferences.
Speck was among the first new hires at the Kwa鈥檒ilas. She started as a bartender and quickly advanced to become the restaurant supervisor and catering and events coordinator.
Speck began her Tourism and Hospitality Management certificate at NIC鈥檚 Mixalakwila campus in January of 2018 and is set to finish her training at the end of this year.
Born and raised in Alert Bay and a member of the 鈥楴amgis First Nation, Speck鈥檚 eyes light up as she describes working at the hotel and witnessing the growth of Indigenous-led tourism in the region.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a different sort of pride you have, being a First Nations person and growing up on the reserve and having that background,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so inspiring to be a part of a progressive, First Nations-owned and operated venture. It鈥檚 a big deal.鈥�
鈥淥ur territory is so rich with resources and it鈥檚 a wonderful platform and base for people to come and experience tourism,鈥� she continued. 鈥淏eing part of that and having the opportunity to watch that grow and be sustainable in our communities is a great thing.鈥�
Speck鈥檚 糖心vlog传媒tourism training has allowed her to excel in her current role and has opened new possibilities for her career. Her duties at the Kwa鈥檒ilas now include organizing catering for large tour groups and hiring and onboarding new staff, as well as other administrative responsibilities.
鈥淭he business communications training has been helpful as the restaurant supervisor and the human resource management training has been a big eye-opener as well,鈥� said Speck. 鈥淎 lot of what I鈥檝e learned has been on the job, but my tourism education has really augmented that experience and given me a different perspective.鈥�
鈥淭he certificate program and my instructors have given me a lot of motivation to think about what I can do within the industry,鈥� she added. 鈥淲hen I started here, I didn鈥檛 think that this was going to be a career for me, but it鈥檚 opened up a lot of doors. The training I鈥檝e received at 糖心vlog传媒has been a big part of that.鈥�
To learn more about NIC鈥檚 tourism and hospitality offerings, visit .
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