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Gap year courses

27th August 2009, by Chris Gill

ESF Valloire, France

Author: Rebecca Miles

Growing numbers of 18-year-olds, career-breakers and even early retirees are going on gap year instructor courses. Many want to become instructors. But many simply want to spend several weeks on the slopes and feel by the end of it that they’ve had a good time and achieved something as well as improving their skiing or snowboarding.

It used to take years to qualify as an instructor, slowly working your way through the different levels. But now there are lots of gap year course providers offering you the chance to get the first stage or two in the bag in a season; a course designed to do that typically lasts 10 or 11 weeks. And each year, around 1,000 Brits take such courses leading to a British (BASI), Canadian (CSIA) or New Zealand (NZSI) qualification, the three most popular for UK gappers.

It is estimated that between 25% and 50% of pupils go on to work in the snowsports industry – the rest return to their job, make a career change or go to university. Tom Saxlund, a director of New Generation, says, ‘Our gappers really like skiing, want to improve and want to devote more time to doing it.’ Matt Cooke, New Gen’s marketing manager, adds, ‘We really welcome those who want to make a career of it – we have a number of people who’ve trained with us
and then gone on to teach with us, which is great for New Gen.’

On most courses, around two-thirds of pupils will be either pre- or immediately post-university; the other third will be made up of late-20s to 60-somethings. In the current economic climate, a lot of bookings are coming from recent graduates who have been told by their employers to delay starting work by a year and from people who have been encouraged to take sabbaticals to cut wage bills.

Some providers, such as Base Camp, offer the option of shorter courses too – eg of four weeks – leading to the level 1 exam (see below). Base Camp also offers improvement camps run in parallel with instructor training (‘good for people who don’t want the hassle of taking an exam’, says Base Camp’s Alex Berman).

WHAT DO YOU DO AFTERWARDS?

How easy is it to work as an instructor after doing a gap year course? The snowsports instruction industry is a political minefield, and despite valiant efforts by BASI (including a new recruitment partnership with the ESF) and others to make it possible for Brits to work in, say, France, it’s just not that easy.

Thirty-seven countries are members of the International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA), a political body that recognises national qualifications and sets minimum standards. In theory, if you have an ISIA qualification you can teach in any of the ISIA member countries. In practice, this isn’t possible because some countries specify further qualifications to reach the top level within their governing body. So, for example, to be a fully qualified ski instructor in France, you do need to pass the notorious speed test.

BASI has a four-level system starting at instructor (two levels) and progressing to ski teacher ISIA and then international ski teacher diploma. If you pass at the end of a 10- or 11-week course, you qualify as a BASI Alpine Instructor level 2 (formerly BASI3).

This entitles you to teach in the UK, Canada, USA, Germany, Austria, Italy, Andorra, Spain, eastern Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The 10- or 11-week course includes the BASI Alpine Instructor level 1 (formerly BASI trainee): this is done over the first week, includes first aid and child protection modules and an exam. With a level 1 qualification, you can teach on UK dry slopes.

The Canadian system has four levels, 1 being the lowest, 4 the highest. On a gap year course, you could expect to pass level 1 and some people reach level 2. With level 1, you would be able to teach beginners, with level 2, up to blue runs. With a level 1 you can teach in Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia and South America. To teach in most European countries, you would need to be level 4.

New Zealand also has four stages. On a typical gap year course, you would work towards the first two: the certificate in ski or snowboard instruction (CSI), which allows you to teach advanced beginners, and stage 1, which allows you to teach advanced intermediates. A CSI certificate entitles you to teach in New Zealand; stage 1 broadens your choice to include USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Andorra, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The average 10-week gap year course costs around £6,900, which includes tuition (the norm is five days a week), accommodation (the norm is with five or six evening meals a week, but it may be self-catering) and a season lift pass. Lunches aren’t usually included, and spending money of around £100 a week is recommended. It’s worth checking that all your exam fees and necessary modules are included. Courses typically run from January to March.

 

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