“Passion has played a big part in my career,” says Michael Edwards from Toronto in NSW who enrolled at the Blue Mountains Hotel School in 1993,“I always had a strong desire to learn but without college I would have had no access to the career I have had.”

Michael did his first industrial placement in the Food and Beverage department of The Anchorage hotel in Port Stephens and his second placement with the Sheraton Wentworth hotel in concierge. He graduated in June 1995.

A month later Michael started as a sales and marketing cadet with Rydges and then became Sales Executive for the then independent Sheraton Wentworth. Later the following year, he started with The Anchorage in their Sydney sales office as Sales Executive just before the Peppers hotel group purchased the hotel.

Michael then moved to Peppers Sydney Office as Sales Executive selling conferences .In May 1998 he moved to Melbourne to start up the Melbourne Sales office for Peppers, responsible for launching the Peppers brand to the Melbourne market.

In June 2000,Michael started as Retreat Manager of Peppers Convent Hunter Valley and in October 2002 commenced his current role as General Manager of Peppers Anchorage Port Stephens.

“After my studies were completed, I found they had equipped me for most of the challenges I was to face,” says Michael, “In my last semester at Blue Mountains, study focused on business planning and marketing; this helped me with my marketing work.My education in food and beverage, staff training and management equipped me for my current position.”

“I owe a great deal to my old School which I believe helped me forge my career.”.