Young Maori with a link to Ngati Whakaue and a passion for tourism are being encouraged to apply for a special scholarship offering both on the job experience and fully paid training.
The partnership between Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust and Sudima Hotels and Resorts sees a person receive up to one year's paid work experience at Sudima Lake Rotorua and a full scholarship to any New Zealand tertiary institute to complete a minimum degree level qualification in hotel or hospitality management.
Sudima director of human resources Maree Judd said the scholarship, which began in 2014, was a great opportunity for Maori to pursue a career in tourism.
She said it was already reaping rewards with the first recipient from 2014 proving an "absolute superstar" and in his second year of a university degree. This year's scholarship was launched on Friday and Ms Judd said she saw it as a great way to showcase the hotel and what the scholarship had to offer.
"The programme has been extremely successful for the last two years and we see this as a pivotal programme in years to come across the wider Rotorua community enabling more local talent to start a career in hotel."
