Holiday inspires a career for Jack

Jack said he loved his time working in Vietnam so much that when he returned to Portland he decided to gain a formal qualification in the field.

He enrolled at South West TAFE in the Certificate III in Travel, Tourism and Events and then went on to study the diploma and the Certificate III in Tour Guiding.

Jack said that while he was studying, a job came up working on the Sound and Light Show at Flagstaff Hill where he worked for about eight months.

He is currently working on the event’s team at Warrnambool City Council and loves that he gets to do something different every day.

“I just love it. My major role is to liaise with community organisations and guide them through and assist with delivering events in the city,” he said.

In Jack’s role he has spent time working on the City of Warrnambool’s 100 year celebrations, Carols by Candlelight and the New Year’s Eve Fireworks.

He said his training at South West TAFE had prepared him well for the workforce.

“A lot of the units definitely transfer into what I’m doing, especially the financial aspects and event planning,” he said.

Jack said the travel industry offered something for everyone and each day could bring something completely different.

“There are so many opportunities to travel – not just in Australia but across the world. If you’re working in events for a big company there are so many opportunities,” he said.

 “There’s always something happening – I really enjoy what I do. I’m so glad I did it,” he said.