Queensland’s tourism and events industry has no shortage of exciting career paths, but helping students find their way into the industry takes more than simply showing them what is available.

It takes schools, educators and industry working together to turn that interest into opportunity.

That’s the thinking behind a new partnership between QTIC and The Hotel School Australia, which will see six senior high school students from participating Brisbane and Gold Coast schools offered scholarships to pursue further studies in tourism, hospitality and events.

For these students, it means the chance to study at Southern Cross University’s Gold Coast campus from Term 1, 2027, and start building a future in an industry full of possibilities.

QTIC CEO Natassia Wheeler said partnerships like these help make tourism and events a more accessible career choice.

“There’s so much opportunity in tourism and events, but we need to help students see where a career in our industry could take them. When businesses and education providers work together, we can give students a clearer path into the industry and help operators find the talent they need,” Ms Wheeler said.

QTIC and The Hotel School Australia have been working together for the past year, finding ways to help more students discover tourism and events as a career and make the move from classroom to industry.

The Hotel School Australia Stakeholder Engagement Manager Vicki Mathias said giving students that support early could make a lasting difference.

“We want students to see tourism, hospitality and events as careers they can build and grow in. These scholarships are about helping them take that next step and showing them the opportunities waiting on the other side,” Ms Mathias said.

For tourism and events operators, encouraging students to pursue careers in the industry means building a stronger pool of future talent. And when industry and educators work together to make those pathways easier to access, everyone stands to benefit.

Find out more

For information about scholarships or study opportunities, contact The Hotel School Australia Queensland Course Advisor Maria Sandoval Barrera on 0482 075 815 or at [email protected].