The Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre (ASSC) and The Official Test Centre (OTC) are coming together to deliver a Professional Instructor Training course at The Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA). The eventual aim of the course is to create multi qualified instructors, who will be ready to step straight into work, with all the physical skills of an instructor along with the soft skills required to become a great instructor. Business training will also be given by training providers Business by Business as an extra added value element to the course.
With the biggest overseas active holiday companies (Neilson, Mark Warner etc) crying out for staff each year, becoming an instructor is a great way to get into working abroad. And with many UK-based centres now offering work all-year round, the watersports instructor role is becoming a realistic choice for an active career.
The aim of the Instructor Training provided by The ASSC & OTC is to train people to be instructors but also to give them all the necessary tools to become a high-class instructor that would work well within whatever team they work with.
With centres, across the world looking for RYA instructors and expecting their staff to be able to deliver a whole host of RYA courses to any age range, the Instructor training course will not just look at the on water skills and theory of the RYA syllabus but will also cover how to be an instructor with a bag of tools to be a true asset within any team. With sections of the course covering things like creating session plans for courses from scratch taking into account; aims of the group, contingency plans, weather and much more.
Another part of the course will see the students having classroom and practical sessions looking at skills that will help them develop a marketing mind … not just for self-promotion, but crucially of the business they will be working for. A CV and covering letter is obviously part of getting a job, but social media is now playing a huge part in marketing, both for business and the individual.
Students on the course will be guided through a practical course in business and marketing. These skills are highly sought after by any potential employer today, and this training will put Instructor Training graduates in good stead for the future, no matter what industry they progress into in the future.
The ASSC and OTC are guided by very highly experienced and qualified managers, both of whom started their careers on similar fast-track style courses. Alex Porter at the ASSC has been an RYA Dinghy Coach Assessor for over nine years, whilst Tris Best at the OTC has been an RYA Windsurf Trainer for four years. Both have built teams around them to help the daily management and they have been selected to bring their knowledge and experience to the centres.
Dan Hallam, who is heading up the Instructor training course said “I also did a similar fast-track instructor training course when he left school at 16. Fifteen years on, I have worked at many centres across the UK and Europe, and I have come to the ASSC with the hopes that I can find and train the next generation of watersports instructors.”
Business by Business is a training company which focuses on the delivery of business training for businesses and individuals who are studying for a specific professional qualification. The training is provided by business people who are actually working in businesses across a wide range of sectors, rather than a traditional training provider. The company was co-founded by Julie Cleaver of Popcorn Marketing and Anna-Maria Geare of Geare Business Consultancy who collectively have over 50 years’ experience in business in both private and public sectors. Julie Cleaver, Director of Business by Business said “ The programme will start with some pre course tasks around social media and the course content will include, Branding & Business, Business planning, Visits to marine based businesses, transferable skills, CV writing and mock Interviews, event planning and practical experience in presentation skills. It is the perfect additional module to the instructor training course, providing stand out skills for increased employment opportunities.”
For more information about the course or dinghy sailing please contact [email protected] Phone the centre on 01305 457400 or visit the website, andrewsimpsonsailing.co.uk
For more information about windsurfing or SUP please contact [email protected] or telephone 07817717904.
Business by Business please call Julie Cleaver 01305 774629
