 Poster: A snowHead
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HAs anyone used SnowMinds instructor training please? They sound much cheaper and more inclusive than most so would love a recommendation please!
Many thanks
Louise
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It would be useful to know what your aims are in snowsports instruction. Do you intend to do just one season and then do something else? Or are you planning on being a long term instructor? Also how much experience do you have as a skier/boarder?
I've not done their training personally, but I do have a lot of experience in a school I worked for employing many of them each winter. The people we got had done Austrian anwarter or NZSIA level 1 exams. Both these are entry level exams.
Most of the people I spoke to seemed pretty happy with their investment early on in the season. By the end of the season a lot of folk had changed their minds on this, but not all. Those that had changed their minds felt that the price was too high (as many 'gap' course attendees seem to decide). Some people even felt they were being 'gouged' for more money for extra 'experiences'.
The people we got were a mixed bag. Some had real potential and others were not much use to the school to be frank. Some of this was down to the expectations of the trainees and their motivations to be an instructor. Bear in mind that 'gap' companies are 'selling the dream' so they don't tell you much about the actual work you will be required to do! They will up sell the travel, the cultural experience, all the free skiing you will do, friends you will make, partying that will be done etc etc. Reading some of their websites they make ski instruction as a job sound like an extended holiday with a uniform and a lot of partying! The reality is that as a 1st season instructor you will mostly get beginners and kids and spend lots of time on the nursery slopes. However this is where everyone started and how you learn your trade.
If your mindset is that you really want to teach then there are cheaper avenues to getting into ski instruction than the 'gap' route, gap courses are very expensive, I'm sure you've seen the prices. Go to a local dome or dry slope and go skiing, maybe have a lesson or two with the highest qualified and experienced coach you can get hold of to see where you're at and develop a plan for your skiing with finite goals and timescales. If you're near the level then a BASI or IASI level 1 is a relatively cheap investment to get started and will allow you to teach at a slope where the pay will be frankly poor (often minimum wage or slightly above), but you will almost certainly get free use of the slope and can most importantly train for your next level potentially with free in-house instructor training, which will give more employment opportunities.
Having gone this route, once teaching you can find out if you like it without having made a huge investment in a 'gap' course. Many people decide it's not for them once they discover the reality of a ski instructors job. A small number make a life from it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Who or what is Loubee?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Skir67
Thank you for your helpful post. My son who is 18 is at a loose end. Covid messed with his education and mental health, a lot. He needs a fresh start and an adventure quite frankly. He’s not using this as a gap year but as a spring board to leave the SW of England.
He loves the mountains and is a brilliant teacher. He’s is a devout skier with 6 weeks experience behind him and better than me (skied all my life!  )
I can’t say whether he’ll want to stay being an instructor for life but I do know he wants to travel and eventually live abroad so instead of poo pooing yet another of his hair brained schemes, I actually thought this was a great idea. He’s good with children and adults and is a patient teacher with a good sense of humour.
It does sound like trying to do this independently makes more sense for him rather than paying a premium for a gap year company. Although maybe for an 18 year old who hasn’t yet traveled independently, they could provide the help that he may need? Unfortunately we live too far away from any decent dry slope or dome to take this route in the UK.
More investigations needed I feel.
Thank you once again.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Forgot to add, he’s keen to learn in Japan (or maybe Canada), then onto NZ. Definitely wanting to get as far away as possible!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Fortheloveofloubee, with only 6 weeks of experience behind him, i'd maybe get him along to an assessment type day that some qualifications run in the UK. It will give him a good idea if he's at the standard needed straight away, or whether he's going to need to get some more training in before his level 1.
If he's good enough to get his level 1 and maybe 2 done over this summer, that'll give him a chance to get abroad and teach, rather than just be learning to teach.
That said, i'm sure he'll have fun on a gap course too, and if he did one in say Canada over the winter, he could like you say head from there on to NZ and do a full season of teaching in NZ.
I've done my L1 in the UK and teach at my local dry slope, via the IASI qualification, so feel free to ask away, and i'll be happy to help with website links etc if you want.
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Good advice from @skir67, I have seen plenty of young people come to Canada on gap year instructor courses, spending huge amounts of money, and then realise ski instructing is not for them. As a new instructor you will spend a lot of time coaching kids and absolute beginners, and your work hours mean less personal free ski time. It's not the dream most kids think they are signing up for!
Both NZ and Canada offer working holiday visas for people his age. Canada you have to apply in advance and numbers are limited so not guaranteed to get one. Not sure how NZ works. Australia is also an option and has ski resorts.
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Although maybe for an 18 year old who hasn’t yet traveled independently, they could provide the help that he may need?
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I've seen plenty of 18 year olds turn up in Canada with no previous travel independence, no plans, and generally no clue  The vast majority made it work. Stay in a hostel and you quickly meet people who are/were in a similar position and can help you out with things like jobs (which are generally not too hard to find in Canada). You will probably be amazed how much a ski season away from the safety blanket of mum and dad changes your son into a more independent adult.
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@Fortheloveofloubee, What @@swskier, says.. and.... if you have a dryslope nearby, get him along to the Race Club. It's fun, and will get those skills sharpened ahead of any assesment/course. And we race throughout the year.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Fortheloveofloubee wrote: |
Skir67
Thank you for your helpful post. My son who is 18 is at a loose end. Covid messed with his education and mental health, a lot. He needs a fresh start and an adventure quite frankly. He’s not using this as a gap year but as a spring board to leave the SW of England.
He loves the mountains and is a brilliant teacher. He’s is a devout skier with 6 weeks experience behind him and better than me (skied all my life! )
I can’t say whether he’ll want to stay being an instructor for life but I do know he wants to travel and eventually live abroad so instead of poo pooing yet another of his hair brained schemes, I actually thought this was a great idea. He’s good with children and adults and is a patient teacher with a good sense of humour.
It does sound like trying to do this independently makes more sense for him rather than paying a premium for a gap year company. Although maybe for an 18 year old who hasn’t yet traveled independently, they could provide the help that he may need? Unfortunately we live too far away from any decent dry slope or dome to take this route in the UK.
More investigations needed I feel.
Thank you once again. |
I used the phrase 'gap' in quotes as I understand not everyone doing these courses are using them in this way, although the majority normally are.
As a full time instructor (as full as it can be) I empathise on a personal level with regards to the covid situation messing everyones lives around.
With 6 weeks experience he is able to get on most of these companies schemes. Many of them seem to accept people with 4 weeks experience and up. This is still a relatively low experience level. So using any facilities he can to get his skiing moving forward would be very beneficial. May I ask whereabouts in the SW you are located? Even the shorter artificial slopes can still be very useful. I improved my own level a lot through this method initially, which then led to teaching on a dry slope which then led to my first on-snow season as a piste leader (sadly not really an option as a job these days).
Another route is to do other resort work which allows a lot of free skiing time. This will hugely increase his skiing ability and then make instructor training and exams that much easier, less stressful and more chance of a positive outcome. At times during my life I've taken this approach when trying to pass the next level instructor exam as working as a ski instructor it is difficult to actually improve your own performance level. You are always skiing at your customers level. Teaching does actually help with your own skiing ability in a roundabout way as the constant skier analysis/lesson design allows you to reflect on your own performance as you think about that of others. I sometimes joke with customers that by teaching them they are helping me to improve my skiing!!!
However there is no substitute for mileage on the correct steepness, terrain, speed and snow type to improve your own levels.
For the cost of many 'gap' courses he could actually do probably two full seasons (ymmv based on how much luxury you can do without) of skiing without working and just skiing every day! Not that I'm suggesting he does that, but it does put the costs in context.
His mindset going into a 'gap' course will very much set how he enjoys the teaching situation. I'm sure you can read between the lines of what many of the sites say and promise. For most of them they do not make it clear that any employer taking people on is looking for someone to reliably, regularly do a job which is nowhere near as glamorous or even reasonably paid as many people believe. I've seen many people who's expectations were vastly different to the reality and I've seen the disappointment that ensued (usually after the first couple of weeks work once Christmas and new year are over).
If you can get him to chat with an experienced instructor about what the job really is that would be ideal and set him up for the reality. If he really is still keen then perhaps it really is for him.
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