Hospitality students in Wellington could benefit from two new major facilities arriving in Lower Hutt.
The long-awaited Lower Hutt Events Centre and its accompanying four-star Sebel Hotel are in early talks with WelTec and Whitireia to provide work and training experience for hundreds of their students.
The Events Centre will officially open July 14, where between 300 to 400students will provide a skilled part-time workforce, who would also be gaining valuable experience themselves.
The Events Centre is owned by Hutt City Council and will be operated by USAR as a 20-year lease. Together with the Sebel Hotel, the facilities are the expected to grow GDP by $104 million over the next 20 years, bringing 90 jobs per year.
“We are looking forward to having a good partnership with USAR, the operators of the Events Centre. They are keen to engage with us, and they understand the value of training and mentoring young people. The Events Centre is a fantastic opportunity for our students and tutors. No doubt this exposure will lead to further work opportunities,” said Ben Shadbolt, head of Whitireia and WelTec’s Hospitality programme.
More than 120 tradespeople have already been employed during the complex’s construction.
The four-star Sebel Lower Hutt will be finished later than the Events Centre, due for completion in 2019.
