Offering you high quality education to kick-start your career

Front-of-House, The Green Time Eatery

“As a stay-at-home mum of three I was looking for a study option that would fit in with my family. Ignite Colleges was perfect because the hours were great especially with two children under five, plus the tutors were awesome. They have so much industry knowledge and experience to share with students. I loved my Level 3 and 4 hospitality studies – I met some incredible people, made some really close friendships, and enjoyed being a part of all the events and functions that Ignite runs.

“My tutors taught me to always take every opportunity that comes your way, because you never know what will be offered to you. They were so right! Earlier this year I got the chance to help one of the tutors at a Valentine’s Day event at a vegan café called The Green Time Eatery in Fort Street, Central Auckland. While I was there, the Director pulled me aside and offered me a job. I was so happy and excited, and now I work front-of-house at Green Time full-time.

“I really enjoy my job, particularly interacting with different customers, and catering to their different dietary needs. Customer service is key, and the customer service skills I learnt at Ignite help me every day at work. I strive to provide excellent service to every diner so that they will come back again. Eventually I would like to work my way up to become a front-of-house manager, or maybe even own my own restaurant.”

Maria Frances Teritaiti
NZ Certificate in Hospitality Level 4

“After finding out about Ignite Colleges on Facebook I decided to give studying a go. I’d been a stay-at-home mum for a long time, but once my youngest started day care I felt ready to do something for myself. Initially I was just planning to do Level 2 – in fact I was so nervous that I wasn’t even sure I could manage that! But my tutors were so supportive and encouraging that I ended up staying on for Level 3 and 4 as well!

I loved studying at Ignite. The tutors explained things in a way that was easy to understand, and they were always there to offer help and support. I really enjoyed all the placements we did, working in local rest homes. After I finished my Level 4 placement, I applied for a job at Starship, and I got it!

I really feel like I’m in the right place now – I love helping the mums there, as a lot of them really need good support. I have twins who were born premature and were in neonatal for two months, so I have been in their shoes and understand how they feel. Working in Starship is sad, but it is amazing too.”

Aizna Khan
NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Support) Level 4

Cook, Tui Village

"I’ve worked at the Tui rest home in Papakura for the last seven or eight years and I’ve had a lot of different roles there, but once I started working in the kitchens I knew I wanted to become a qualified chef. It was pretty scary finding somewhere to study, and going back to school after 20 years, but I’m so glad I did it."

“I love studying at Ignite Colleges – it’s the best thing I could be doing for my future, and my family. Early on in my course my tutor suggested I complete Ignite’s free Maths & English course. This made my cookery classes a lot easier to understand. Level 3 cookery taught me a lot about health and safety, and I was able to take this newfound knowledge into my workplace where it benefitted everyone."

“Level 4 is very hands-on. I’m learning lots of new cookery techniques and am getting better and faster with each passing day. Now I can confidently cook four different dishes at once, and I have made lots of improvements to the menu at work. The residents are happy because the food is getting better and better, and my manager trusts me and is giving me more freedom in the kitchen. My goal now is to lift our kitchen grading at work – I’m aiming to get us an A or a B. Eventually though I want to move back to Kiribati and open up my own café. That’s my dream."

Maria Tutu
Certificate in Culinary Arts Level 4

Import Coordinator, Ultimate Transport

“I got my job at Ultimate Transport a week after graduating from Ignite Colleges. I couldn’t believe it! Someone from the company showed up at Ignite to do some recruiting and I’d just finished my course. It was perfect timing, and I was so happy.

“The job is great. I work with a small, supportive team where everyone knows everyone. It’s the sort of place where I don’t feel afraid to ask questions. I deal with clearance, cartage, basically anything that comes into New Zealand. I make sure the product or consignment gets from the port or country of origin into New Zealand, and even to the door. There’s a lot of paperwork involved, and a lot of liaising with shipping lines and so forth. I find it really fun!

“This job is quite different from what I was doing before – which was being a mum to my five kids and working as a caregiver. One morning I just woke up and thought ‘I want to do something different’. Freight and logistics appealed to me because it’s hands-on, but the reality is, I didn’t really have a clue what it involved until I started studying at Ignite.

“I can’t speak highly enough of my tutor. He is such a wise man and taught me so much. He gave us a great overview of the industry, which has set us up to work in so many different areas. I was particularly drawn to the documentation side of things - the fact that the perfect job fell straight into my lap is just amazing. The skills and knowledge I gained during my Level 3 and 4 studies have prepared me well to work in the industry – and it wasn’t just what our tutor taught us, it was the way he taught us that really helped. He shared his own experiences and really brought his classes to life.

“The transition to full-time employment was a bit of a shock at first. It was hard for the family because the kids all had to step up and do more work at home. But they are very proud of me. Every day I get home from work and they ask me how my day went. It means a lot!

“I’ve been working at Ultimate Transport for six months now and I plan to stay here for another few years and build my experience. I definitely think this place is where I’m meant to be.”

Josephine Otimi
Certificate in International Logistics and Transport Level 4

“I left school last year at the end of Year 11 and spent eight months working with my parents in their cleaning and maintenance businesses. I really wanted to get into nannying though – I help teach kids at karate and I also have quite a bit to do with the young children at our church. I love kids!

“I’ve really enjoyed studying at Ignite Colleges. The campus is nice and big with a cool café and the atmosphere is good. There are not too many students so I feel comfortable here. As far as my ECE course goes, it has been great. The tutor is really cool – she explains everything well and matches her teaching style to our individual ways of learning. The course is really thorough; we spend lots of time focussing on each unit rather than rushing through topics like we did at high school. Classes are small so we get a lot of one-on-one attention which is great.

“The practical, hands-on nature of the course has been one of the biggest highlights. We do lots of crafts and learn how to make our own resources. We also spend two weeks working in an early childhood centre. I worked in Tiny Wonders Early Learning Centre in Pukekohe, which was a great opportunity to put everything I had learned in class into practice.

“Next year I am moving into further study and will gain a Level 5 nanny qualification. After that the world is my oyster – I plan to nanny in New Zealand for a while and eventually go overseas and work.”

Melanie Bullock

“At Ignite they teach you how to dream big. They’re supportive, and their teaching style makes the course easy to understand. We are not just sitting in the classroom writing all day. We do roleplays and lots of other interesting activities. Eden Park security came into our class as guest speakers and we also have a fieldtrip to Auckland Airport. I’m only nine weeks into my course and I’ve already learnt so much – how to deal with people, how to protect ourselves, different laws and regulations.

“My dad has worked in security for ten years, so I guess you could say I’m following in his footsteps! Ideally, I’d love to work in airport security, and I plan to apply after gaining my Level 2 and 3 security qualifications from Ignite. Eventually though, my dream is to get into the New Zealand Police. I think police officers are real heroes. They do such great work, keeping the peace and protecting people, and one day I would really like to join them.”

Setima Papalii

“I wanted to get into the army but I lacked the maths and English skills so I enrolled in ILN at Ignite Colleges. The course work was hard but my tutor explained everything clearly and simply, so that it was easy to understand. My tutor actually made learning fun! The course was so worthwhile – in fact I reckon I learnt more at Ignite Colleges than I did in high school.

“After doing the course I applied for the army. They said my maths and English level was great, but unfortunately they turned me down because I have severe asthma. However they suggested I apply for the police force instead. I did that, and it looks like I’ll be starting my training next month!

“I would recommend Ignite Colleges to anyone. Not only is it a nice environment, but the staff are all very good and get along really well with the students. They are not intimidating in any way; they are supportive and encouraging. They treat students as equals and really know what we need.”

David Ngatuere-way
Maths & English

“I’ve always wanted to join the army – the structure and the lifestyle really appeal to me. I wanted to make sure I got in, so I enrolled in Ignite Colleges’ Defence Force Preparation course to lift my academic level and better prepare myself. I’m at the end of my course now and my tutor helped me put my army application form in last week. I find out in February. Fingers crossed!

“I’ve enjoyed everything about studying at Ignite – the practical, the physical, the academic. The course is very hands-on and we cover all sorts of things, from automotive to first aid. Yes, some papers are pretty challenging, but you get lots of support from the tutors, so you get through it just fine. The tutors and staff here are so cool and I’ve made so many new friends.”

Ilaisa Fifita
Certificate in Police and Defence Force Entry Preparation Level 3