The International College of Advanced Education’s Casino School offers the world’s first accredited casino and hospitality management program in which students are provided training within the premises of a five-star, award-winning casino – SKYCITY Darwin. Students at the Casino school are exposed to every element of the five-star international hospitality business – food and beverage, accommodation, marketing, finance, human resource management, and gaming. Along with gaining invaluable real-world experience in a leading casino and resort, the students graduate with the highly regarded Australian Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management.

The international hospitality and casino industry is currently witnessing a period of unprecedented growth, with new casinos opening weekly in regions such as North America, Europe and Asia. This growth is driving the demand for internationally qualified hospitality management professionals.

Curriculum at the Casino School has been designed specially keeping in mind the practical and intense nature of the international hospitality industry. Graduates are well-equipped with knowledge and practical experience of the workplace, and are geared to take advantage of career opportunities around the world. The Casino School’s Advanced Diploma is a two-year course, with two semesters in each year. The second and fourth semesters are undertaken as paid Industry Placement in an approved Casino, Tourism or Hospitality enterprise. The course, with its exclusive combination of classroom and practical training, is structured to provide a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the international hospitality industry.

Course Details

The Casino School has a highly relevant, practical and exciting approach to classes, which are held as small tutorial groups with the intention of encouraging interaction, discussion, and active learning. The practical component of the course is undertaken in the relevant operational areas of the casino, such as the restaurants, bars, hotel reception, and the gaming floor. The Casino School is an integral part of SKYCITY Darwin, a world-class casino and resort that is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Students undertake studies and practical classes across a broad and diverse range of hospitality disciplines in order to provide a solid foundation for an international career. Subjects cover a diverse range of hospitality disciplines, including the following:

• Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism
• Introduction to Food and Beverage Operations
•  Bar Operations
•  Business Skills and Procedures
•  Casino Operations (including the Dealers’ School, Keno and TAB operations)
•  Accommodation Operations
•  First Aid
• Managing People
•  Casino Operations Management
  

Students of the Casino School also benefit from the considerable experience and expertise of the staff and management of SKYCITY Darwin, who deliver regular lectures in their respective areas of expertise. Students also have the added advantage of regular guest lectures from industry specialists, including product developers and suppliers, consultants, technical advisors, managers in government, and visiting academics.

Industry Placement

The Industry Placement semesters are a vital component of the curriculum at the Casino School. The practical experience gained during these semesters enables students to enhance their resume, develop a professional network, earn money by participating in the hospitality workforce, and strengthen the foundation of their career through practical experience. The semesters are undertaken as fully paid employment in approved hospitality enterprises. The Industry Placement department of the school consults with each student individually in order to identify suitable jobs and assist the students to obtain these positions. Students can choose to apply for positions within the industry according to their own personal preferences. Placement can be undertaken in any approved hospitality venue in the Northern Territory, or overseas. The school supports students throughout their Industry Placement by maintaining regular contact and keeping communication channels open.

About the International College of Advanced Education

The International College of Advanced Education (ICAE) is an Australian Registered Training Organization, accredited by the Australian National Training Authority and registered with the Northern Territory Department of Employment, Education and Training. ICAE has been delivering innovative training programs since 1997, providing vocational and professional training across a range of industries, with a focus on the Hospitality and Tourism industries. The college has been recognized by the Australian government and industry as a leading educational practitioner earning numerous National and State Awards for Training and Education.

ICAE is well recognized by professional bodies such as the Australian Hotels Association,Tourism Training Australia, and the Catering Institute of Australia, and its education programs are acknowledged as being world class and tailored to meet the demands of Industry throughout the world.

ICAE holds the following Government accreditation:

• CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Courses for Overseas Students) Provider 02864B with Department of Education Science and Training
• R TO (Registered Training Organization) 4546 with Department of Employment Education and Training

Over the past six years, ICAE has won several Industry Awards for Education, including:

• Tourism Training Australia - National Training Award 2003, 2002
• Northern Territory Training Awards - NT Training Initiative 2005
• Northern Territory Tourism Council Brolga Award for Excellence in Tourism, Education and Training 2006, 2004, 2003, 2001
  

The Casino School Campus

The Casino School campus is the world-class hospitality complex SKYCITY Darwin, a prestigious, multi-award winning international five-star resort and casino. SKYCITY Darwin’s facilities are also student’s facilities. Set on 18 beachside acres of lush tropical gardens only minutes from Darwin’s central business district, this is truly a magnificent living and learning environment to become immersed in the world of hospitality management.The complex boasts of:

• 117 stylishly appointed hotel rooms
•  A vast array of food and beverage outlets; cocktail, sports and pool bars; and banquet and conference facilities catering for 500 people indoors and up to 2000 people outdoors
•  The Grand Ballroom – an ideal venue for banquet dinners and meetings of up to 400 people
• The International Room – the ideal venue for cocktail functions and conferences
• The Lawns – Set amongst lush tropical gardens and overlooking the Arafura sea, The Lawns are the perfect setting to experience Darwin’s famous sunsets
• World-class gaming facilities
• Outdoor swimming pool including children’s pool; sauna; fitness centre with on site masseuse; tennis courts; putting green; nine hole golf course adjacent; walking and jogging tracks border the hotel along the beachfront.

All these facilities provide an unrivalled learning environment for students of international hospitality. SKYCITY Darwin operates 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, and employs over 500 staff annually. The Casino School classes are held in all operational areas of the casino and in tutorial-style teaching rooms located at SKYCITY Darwin and at ICAE’s city campus. Students are provided access to the latest hospitality and IT facilities, including relevant hospitality and gaming technology, internet, and the latest research materials.

About SKYCITY

SKYCITY Entertainment Group Limited (formerly SKYCITY Limited) was established in 1996 as owner of the SKYCITY Auckland gaming and entertainment complex in New Zealand, which includes the world-renowned Sky Tower. Since then, the SKYCITY Entertainment Group Ltd has acquired/developed the following properties:

• Adelaide Casino in South Australia (now SKYCITY Adelaide) in June 2000
•  Queenstown Casino in New Zealand in December 2000
•  A cinema entertainment company based in Auckland, renamed SKYCITY Leisure, in March 2001
•  SKYCITY Hamilton in New Zealand in September 2001
•  SKYCITY Hamilton and the surrounding Riverside Entertainment Centre
• Aspinall (NZ) Ltd, including shareholdings in Christchurch Casino and the 296 room, four-star Christchurch Crowne Plaza Hotel
• SKYCITY Auckland, including its five-Star, 316 room Grand Hotel