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A tour of the corridors of power

03/11/2015

Janet Herbertson spends her days in the Parliament Buildings, but she’s not an MP or a member of the media. Instead, Janet is responsible for giving thousands of visitors from New Zealand and all around the world a view of the inner sanctum of New Zealand Parliament. She’s been a tour guide at Parliament for 10 years, but every day is like seeing it anew. 


“I really enjoy seeing visitors’ responses to rooms like the Debating Chamber that they have only ever viewed on television. Seeing the real thing is so surprising in terms of scale, detail and history,” says Janet, who shows tourists the sights and encourages the public to take an interest in the democratic machine.

It’s a rich visitor experience with something to interest everyone,” says Janet. And in true Kiwi style, she says it’s not uncommon for her tour group to encounter a real live MP, or even the Prime Minister.

“They will wander over and say hello if they have a moment. Our overseas visitors can’t quite believe it,” she says. 

Janet’s expert skills and knowledge were recently officially recognised with a national tourism qualification when she gained a National Certificate in Tour Guiding from ServiceIQ – the Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for tourism, travel, hospitality and other service sectors. 

“I’ve been fortunate that Parliamentary Service is an employer which values professional development and offered me the flexibility and opportunities for on-job training.  It’s a reflection of the importance which the organisation places on making New Zealand’s Parliament open and accessible, with an emphasis on information, education and customer service,” says Janet.

In fact, over 75,000 visitors a year enjoy a tour through the buildings to learn about the parliamentary system, traditions, art and the impressive earthquake strengthening.

There are tours most days of the year whether for New Zealand families, international visitors or private and VIP groups.

Janet’s on-job training programme involved a mix of theory and practice, and she was able to put her new skills to the test immediately, and earn as she learned. She also received support from her employer and ServiceIQ throughout the programme. 

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“I liked the variety and flexibility of course material and the fact that I could choose units which were relevant to my work environment. It was very reassuring to have a supervisor who I could easily contact with questions, and who gave me good feedback about progress,” says Janet.

“The units on cross cultural communication were particularly interesting and relevant as we welcome visitors from all over the world. I was able to learn the theory behind effective communication with people from different backgrounds and then put my study into practice to improve my tours and interaction with visitors.  On-job training enabled me to see immediate results from my months of study which not only benefited visitors to Parliament, but also increased my own job satisfaction.”

For people who are passionate about working with people in the heritage and tourism sector, the expert tour guide recommends the National Certificate in Tour Guiding.

“It is widely recognised and encompasses many aspects of the profession.  I hope that more organisations will offer the same opportunities I had to grow and develop my career through on-job training.”


ServiceIQ has a fantastic range of on-job training programmes designed especially to benefit tourism businesses and their talented staff. Please talk to one of our expert ServiceIQ training advisors for no obligation advice on programmes to fit your needs.