We are offering training internships
for young people from across aotearoa

 

Apply now for 2025 opportunities!

 

Registered as a charity, El Rancho is a not-for-profit Camp and Conference Centre, situated in Waikanae Beach, north of Wellington. 

With a main focus on rangatahi (young people), we have been impacting the lives of people from all over New Zealand and the world for over 50 years. 

Check out our Internships clip:

 

 

Our programme will unlock your potential...

 

Empowering you and equipping you with life skills that will look great on your CV and kickstart your career.
 

Spend your GAP YEAR with us!

 

Our Career Training Internship Programme offers an amazing opportunity to learn an array of skills that will set you up for life.

We will train you to:

• Lead our activities
• Perform outdoor facilities tasks
• Assist alongside our kitchen and house keeping teams

We will also provide you with Leadership Development that will be hugely beneficial, whatever you turn your hand to in the future.
 

Although the training opportunities at El Rancho are varied, we have a range of areas that you may choose to explore at a more in-depth level.

Options include:

Catering - work in our commercial kitchen, preparing food for up to 700 people.

Event Management – work alongside our Programmes team, assisting with camps and events throughout the year.  This could include multimedia, set design, leadership and administration.

Outdoor Education – train to be an ‘Education Outside the Classroom’ Instructor. This includes Rock Climbing, Horse Riding, Kayaking, Go Karts, Achery & Air Rifles, along with other exciting activities.

Facilities - learn skills in building, painting and gardening. There is also the chance to hone your mechanical skills, by assisting with the maintenance of our Go Karts and other equipment.

Housekeeping – learn how to maintain a facility to the high standard of cleanliness and presentation expected by our guests. This also includes setting up venues for large conferences and events.

***You will still have the opportunity to work in all areas, however there is the option to focus on one or two of the above departments that appeal to you most***

 

We are open to people joining our Internship Programme when they are available, with no set start dates.

We ask for a commitment to the programme of at least 6 months.

However, if things are going well for both parties, there is often the opportunity to stay on for up to 12 months.

There is no financial cost for this programme, however, interns are expected to work a total of 35 hours per week, across a 7 day roster.

Not only will we provide you with these valuable training opportunities, we’ll also provide you with:

• Accommodation (including power)
• Food
• WiFi

As a programme participant, you will live onsite in a flatting situation alongside other young people.

El Rancho staff members live within these flats and they oversee all that goes on. They provide leadership, support and advice.
 

Here's what our past programme participants have to say: 

 El Rancho was like my home away from home. The work itself was very varied: gardening, housekeeping, activity instructing or helping in the kitchen. There is no chance to get bored. I especially loved leading the activities for kids. It’s great to teach them new things and see the impact you have on them, it makes you feel special. I grew a lot and learnt great leadership skills. Doing a gap year at El Rancho was the best decision I could have made!   Celine

 Talk about living the dream! I came to El Rancho for a year and man it was the best year of my life. There are endless activities to do onsite to keep yourself entertained. Also, you become a part of the amazing El Rancho family and get to meet so many great people. I would definitely recommend this incredible opportunity to anyone and everyone   Caleb

 I’ve had such a great time. Not only did I get accommodation, food and WiFi, but I got so much more! I was part of a unique community and got to know some great people. The work was rich in variety and I learnt a lot.  El Rancho is beautifully located - close to the beach, where I could head to whenever I liked   Anja
 

Qualifications Earned

Whilst our programme is not recognised by NZQA, all participants will receive certification and references from El Rancho, detailing the skills and experience gained during their time with us.
 

Keen to apply?

 

Click here to fill out our online application form.

If you'd like further information please email Ana Poloie on interns@elrancho.co.nz.

There are limited spaces for our programme and we choose participants based on current skill sets and the potential we see in them. 

Our team will consider your application and be in touch to arrange an interview, if we believe you would be a good fit for our programme.

Click here for general Programme Information and here for the Intern Job Description.