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There's still time for school leavers with connections to Rotorua iwi Ngati Whakaue to apply for a scholarship that gives them hands on experience in the sulphur city's most important industry.
It's the result of a partnership between the 135 year old Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust Board and Sudima Hotels & Resorts.
Sudima human resources director Maree Judd says even though the deadline has passed, any application received before the judges draw up a shortlist next week will be considered.
The scholarship gives a 12-month paid employment placement at Sudima Lake Rotorua as well as $7500 towards tertiary study.
Ms Judd says it's a great opportunity.
"There are a lot of young local Maori leaving school not completely aware hotels offer this kind of opportunity for future careers and future leaders. Particularly here in Rotorua I think we can harness that. We’ve got a lot of people that want to live and stay in Rotorua, who don’t want to move to bigger cities like Auckland and so forth, so what can we do to harness that opportunity that is being presented to us," she says.
The first scholarship recipient, Awatere Douglas, is now studying hotel management and te reo Maori at Waikato University after a year at Sudima doing tasks from bed making to cooking to working the front desk.
Application forms are on the Sudima website.
http://www.sudimahotels.com/careers/ngati-whakaue-scholarship/
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