Good morning ladies and gents. I've posted this before a few times a while back but it seems I'm now only a little step further. I tend to ramble on, so apologies in advance, but I could really use some advice.
I'm 23, spent the summer working a crap job at a haulage company working away in order to save up some money, I'm now at college studying for my GCSE's (Maths, Biology, Chemistry & Physics) as I left school with only 2. I'd really love to build up my outdoor experience and knowledge, lead groups, and start getting some NGB awards, but where do I start? My course ends in May, but whilst I've got some savings I'm currently unemployed and part time work is harder to come by than I thought. I went on a 6 week backpacking and Munro climbing trip last summer, but since then all I've done is probably only half a dozen or so day walks. I live not for away from Skipton, just on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park 'Gateway to the Dales'.
What's the best way forward? My college allegedly has good outdoor facitilies and a custom built climbing wall, which I haven't seen yet, and I know my college runs an Extended Diploma in Sport (Outdoor Adventure Pathway) - Level 3, but is it worth it? I have experience of wild camping, scrambling and of course hillwalking but I've never been canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing or caving, and I'd really love to have a go at these activities. Not to mentioned I would absolutely LOVE to have a go at Mountaineering. Should I take the college route, then work towards my NGB's whilst working at an outdoor centre, or should I get more experience in my own time and pay for some outdoor instruction?
Caving, probably more so than other outdoors activities, is very much a club activity. Solo caving is certainly an 'interesting' experience, but not something for beginners to try. Given your location I would imagine you'll have no problem finding a local club quite happy to take you underground.
You can start with walking gear - I remember I did my first cave (and sump dive!) in a pair of Survival Aids ventile trousers and a North Cape pile jacket! Experience is more important, as this recent rescue in an 'easy' cave illustrates. Having had to tow a friend out of there under spate conditions, I learned the hard way...
> I'd really love to build up my outdoor experience and knowledge, lead groups, and start getting some NGB awards, but where do I start?
Start with what you know; what you are interested in, what skills do you have, and to what level? From there, look at what jobs you might realistically achieve with that level of skill, and, if you need to increase your skills, figure out how to do that, be it getting more experience on your own or in a group, or getting training. Do any of the youth or activities organisations provide suitable training (e.g. Scouts, Ramblers, DoE etc?).
For outdoor activites, I don't think there's any substitute for actual experience, and, if you're going to do a course like your link, make sure that it offers real experience in the activities. I see 2 days per week on practical, two days in class, over two (guess 30 week) years, that's 120 days practical experience. If that's spread over the 18 subjects they mention, it sounds a little experience-light (about 7 days per subject).
Since you don't currently climb, canoe, etc, I think it might be a big ask to acquire the necessary skills and experience to lead or teach those activities, in the short term; a more long-term goal, perhaps, which requires investment of your time (and the associated desire/interest) in those activities. If your college has climbing and other outdoor activity facilities, certainly make the best use of them whilst you're a (I assume) 'paying customer'. Even if you only try the activities, at least you may find if you like them enough or not to consider a career based around them.
You also need to have people skills, and, if teaching, an aptitude for it; it's a skill that can be taught to some extent, but I think it's a skill some people cannot acquire, and that some people excel at naturally.
I'd also think about just what jobs there are in the 'outdoors' market, and how much they pay, and what the costs are (insurance, etc), and whether it's a financially viable career for you, which will of course depend on what you want to achieve in your life...
BTW, good on you for going back to college to complete your education; whatever the reason for your only leaving school with 2 GCSEs, I think it shows a lot of character to decide you need to improve on that, and to do something about it. 'Proper' subjects, too.
Working for an outdoor centre as a 'trainee' is a really great way of experiencing some (note only some) of what it is like to work in the outdoors. So many outdoor activity jobs vary - leading on walking holidays, instructing climbing, being a general 'activity instructor' at a centre. But any experience along these lines will help you decide ifworking in the outdoors is what you want.
I went into a centre as a trainee having worked in another industry, so it was quite a career change. The pay is pants and the hours often anti-social, but if its what you want to do then none of that matters. It helped me get NGB's, alowed me to experiment with my coaching style, and I developed a lot as a person too.
I would aggree with Captain Paranoia, you really need to try these activities to see if you personally enjoy them. Coaching people and running taster sessions for an activity you dont even like yourself is really hard work - for you and the client. Its just not worth it.
There are other jobs you could try around the more typical outdoor instructor jobs, such as working at a centre doing maintenance, in the kitchens, reception, etc, or in an outdoor gear shop. Then you will be around people who do outoodr sports and hopefully can tag along.
Any experience you can gain in different activities will be good for you, and keeping fit helps if you really want to be successfull in the outdoors.
Good idea doing the GCSEs - regardless of the future, they will stand you in good stead.
I'd have a chat with some local voluntary organisations - Scouts/Guides or a local school (I run DoE for a school and have a panel of friendly volunteer folk who I can call on as needed)
You wont get paid - but you will get experience, it will be traceable, you will get references and you may even get some training for free or very cheap.
I'd also have a go at the other activities just to get a taste (you may decided that canoeing is what you really want and mountaineering is pants). Then get yourself about - make yourself known.
One peice of advice though - very very few outdoor professionals make a living from leading/instructing. Those that do seem to be away for weeks at a time. The rest of us do something else...and have outdoor stuff as a paying hobby.
Thank you for your replies. Just to clear any confusion, I'm not doing this in some sort of rush and looking for short term solutions, I'm just wanting to start making the right decisions that will point me in the right direction. I think somebody said before on my thread that if you want to make a career outdoors or in the countryside, you have to add many strings to your bow, and I think I will do just that, and after scrutinising what I'm interested in and what I'm passionate about, I know what to do now. Thanks again.
One thing I might add, what about these intensive instructor programs that give a good amount of coaching and NGB qualifications? They are costly but are they worth it? I've just seen one and by the time the course is over you can attain :
Summer Mountain Leader (SML) Training or Assessment*Single Pitch Award (SPA) Training or Assessment*
SkiingSnowsports Awards Levels 1-7
British Canoe Union (BCU) Star test 1-3 + UKCC
Level 1Kayaking British Canoe Union (BCU) Star test 1-3 + UKCC Level 1
Scottish Rafting Association (SRA) Level 1 Guide Award
Scottish Mountain Bike Leader Award (SMBLA) Trail Cycle Leader (TCL)
They are very intensive and very very hard work - literally 7 days a week. I have met a few on the PyB version and daughter's boyfriend went on one...didnt finish it because he got a job in a completely different industry and after he realised that they guaranteed and offered no work what so ever at the end.
Basically, IMHO and my experience, you need to decide why you are doing it. Are you doing it cos you love the activity (s) and therefore will enjoy it regardless or are you doing it to retrain the get work.
If the first...and you can afford the time and money...do it and good luck to you (says he slightly green with jealousy). If you are doing it in order to get a job...aaaaaa.....think again
When I was considering my outdoor career options at the tender age of 17, the teacher who used to take me on wild adventures in the hills said that I definitely shouldn't think about instructing. In my case, he was quite right, and I really don't think it would have suited me at all. So... sage advice from that guy... and I've always been grateful for all the help and encouragement he gave me. He died last Friday and his funeral is next Tuesday.
Just started my teaching career Paddy (at age 50). If just one ex-pupil says something like that about me when I wander off on the LDP above, I'll be a very happy man.
The 18 subjects is actually 18 ten credit modules (actually 17 ten credit modules and 2 five credit modules), not 18 sports or activities. The compulsory modules which make up a third of the course are pretty much non-sport specific and cover such subjects as Fitness Training, Risk Assessment etc.
Lots of the optional modules are also non-sport specific including such things as nutrition and Sports Injuries.
Of all the available modules for the various Extended Diplomas in Sport only modules 29 to 38 actually relate specifically to Outdoor Adventure.
Assuming the course included the five more practical outdoors modules then reading the sylabuses (or sylabi?) for four of these (land based skills, water based skills, land based leadership and water based leadership) the requirements for the skills modules are two sports for each and the leadership modules 1 sport each. Finally there is an Expeditions module, which I wouldn't expect to add any further sports.
I think to some extent the course is intended to fill the gap for 16 year olds leaving school who can't progress to NGB courses which require participants to be 18.
I'd suggest that you would be better of trying to get qualified in leading one activity whilst trying to develop some skills in sports you don't currently participate in. You could consider starting now rather than waiting until May (depending on funding). It sounds like you have quite a lot of relevent experience towards the Summer Mountain Leader Award which has a Training Course followed by an embedding period before taking an Assessment so that is where I would consider starting. Then maybe try to find a local canoeing club who are open to new starters and will help take you through your star qualifications.
Although I'd always been taken into the hills by family, it was a High School teacher who actually got me into it for my own sake. Having engaged in most aspects of outdoor activity (apart from paddling) I did consider instructing, but realised it'd drive me nuts and destroy my love for it. I was once camped on the Wasdale NT site when I had long hair - a group of lads on a 'motivation' course approached me, complaining how much they hated being there - and then asked me if I had any drugs they could buy...!
From experience, working with groups who don't want to be there is hard work! I get much more out of instructing as a hobby than I ever did as a 'Pro'
As a minimum you will need ML summer and a basic BCU course for most centeres. IMHO the BCU is broken and will take some time to get fixed. The coaching qualifications seem to be mostly interested in competition, not a lot of use if you are into sea kayaking.
They need to have an award closer to the ML, more like the old Senior Instructor and Advanced Sea Profficiency that I did and less aligned to UKCC coaching qualifications which are more interested in performance and technique.
As others have said get involved in voluntary organisations, you may even get some help getting qualified and the leader training provided by Scouts and DofE is very good and will look good on your CV (and not just for outdoor work).
Good on you for getting back to your GCSE's, it takes real commitment and will be worthwhile.
I would have loved to have made a living out of working in the great outdoors and I often wish I'd taken steps that way. However the reality is that it's very hard to make a 'good' living in such fields. I would agree with the points above that the best thing you can do is experience the activities you've mentioned and gain experience in partaking as a 'hobby' first. Find out what you really enjoy doing, because the likelihood is that to establish yourself in a paid field, you would have to spend a certain amount of time working for next to nothing or volunteering in your spare time.
However there is stuff you can do for free that can give you valuable experience, check this link out at my local outdoor centre:
http://www.pyb.co.uk/mock-students.php
They also do an intensive 4 month training programme which is supposed to be very good and gives you a major qualification, but at nearly £10,000 !!! It's a huge investment.
They also have a page on their website about their instructors, I think reading that may give you an idea of how a typical instructor gets to a decent job.
http://www.pyb.co.uk/staff-master.php
All the best with GCSE's and whatever you choose to do .... enjoy it
