 Poster: A snowHead
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So I was planning on doing the BASI route into becoming a ski instructor however a friend suggest I look at European alternatives such as the Austrian instructor course.
Would doing the BASI route limit me to English schools and English speaking schools only?
The Austrian route includes learning basic German which I wouldn't mind doing anyway.
It seems from what I have heard that doing the Austrian course would open more doors as you are forced to learn a language and maybe a way round the Euro "snobbery" you sometimes encounter.
Has anyone got any opinions or views on this, slightly confused now with the qualifications.
To Basi or to Euro that is the question!
Thanks in advance
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nodwas, It depends what you want to do, how far you want to go along the qualification route and where you want to teach.
I don't know a great deal about the austrain route but if you go down the BASI route you still need another language when you get to level 3 if that was the main drive. You need to check the BASI website for the locations you can teach depending on your qualification.
With a level 1 your restricted to uk dryslopes and indoors
With a level 2 it allows you to instruct in a mountain environment but only in some countries without restrictions, you can still be taken on in France (if you wanted to) but you will need to be taken on as a Stagiere (trainee) within a ski school and be working towards your higher levels and complete a timed Slalom within a certain time (Test Technique). You can work in certain parts of Italy for up to a month I believe but as I said best check the website.
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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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Yip - At the end of the day it depends where you want to teach...
Believe it or not BASI qualifications are actually highly respected all over the globe.
For example the humble L2 can be used to work for a ski school everywhere (even France if you also pass test technique). Arguably they have set the bar higher to be sure of equivalence in other countries.
Some Brits choose to go for the Austrian / NZ / USA / Canadian systems. Which all have their merits too - generally they are a marginally easier to get to ISIA level. However be aware that instructor badges need to be refreshed every 3 years!
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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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Nodwas, the other thing you need to consider is what you want to do v the cost.
as Haggis_Trap, says the BASI qualifications are respected, maybe not all the ski schools in Europe understand the levels but if you go all the way to Level 4 ( ISTD ) then you would have the highest level and be able to teach anywhere but it comes at cost not just in monetary terms but also commitment.
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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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ISIA and above needs to be refreshed every year, below that once every 3 years. A one day attendance course.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nodwas,
Ok then going to put my head above the parapet – so……
My opinion (which is frequently wrong  ) is that if you’re British then you should join BASI. If you’re Austrian then join their association, French, Italian, German etc, join your own national association.
Now there “may” be good reason to joining another assoc. eg. You only want to work in the USA so you join the PSIA so you don’t get any grief over your qualifications, but other than I don’t really see the point in join foreign associations.
Of course once you have your ticket it’s a great idea to go along and take courses with other national assocs, to see how they differ and to be able to take various “bits” and combine them into your own style.
Oh yeah, I know loads of Italians who are in BASI – which I think is V weird.
So, if you're British then why not join BASI (we needs the subs  )
skir67,
You can refresh every 3 years if your refresher was more than 1 day (I think  )
If you contact Diane up in NorthEnglanShire she will give you the criteria
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Wayne,
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| Oh yeah, I know loads of Italians who are in BASI – which I think is V weird. |
Not so much when the entry technical level to the Italian system(s) is very high. The selections I watched a couple of years ago had both GS and SG tests.
What's interesting is that Italians joining the BASI systems demonstrates that these organisations are in a competitive market for their 'product'. It's a shame that some of the organisations don't appear to realise this, or that the 'product' their clients are trying to buy is different to the one they are trying to sell.
Nodwas If your intention is to live and work in Austria why not check out the Austrian system ? Be sure to check how widely accepted their qualifications are (at each given level) should you want to work outside Austria and that their professional liability insurance will cover you outside Austria (or even Europe) .
Also, don't forget the Irish system.
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Now only hearsay but what I've gleaned in the last year or so:
Austrian System very regimented, more akin to a vocational degree type course. Stand up every time the Chief Instructor enters the room etc etc. A lot of dogma and little opportunity to personalise the way you teach. Rules are Rules as they said in 1939!!
Italian system riddled with nepotism and unless you are family or have skied with the local ski club all your life then forget it. Even to get to the Seleczioni is difficult without knowing the right people. As stated earlier you have to be able to do everything before you even start (including Park skills and second discipline). Select out not Train in.
BASI offers a more flexible approach and much more casual in the best sense. Dip in and out as time and finance allows, train in your first language. I'd stick to BASI and as others have said, gain your work experience abroad.
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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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panaga52, that little observation verges on racism and is basically crap! Do you have experience of either system in terms of the training regimes, let alone working within a ski school in one of those countries? Saying it is only heresay does not let you off the hook
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Nodwas, doing BASI won't limit you to English speaking schools - even only being able to speak English won't do that (though obviously it's easier if you do speak a *useful* other language).
The Austrian route will only open more doors and avoid Euro snobbery in Austria, so useful if you only want to teach there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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panaga52,
That's not really how it works.
You turn up on the first day of the course and do the Eurotest.
Fail that and you go home.
Pass it and you can carry on to the other assessment criteria.
Pass those and you're up and running.
This year 60 people passed the course(s) in Trentino and have now started working at various schools. OK 60 doesn't sound many but that's just in our area and remember it' the same as the ISTD. Not a clue how many have passed in other areas.
Oh and if you want to work in Italy (I think anywhere) you have to be able to ski as well as the local instructors or you won't last long regardless of the qualifications you have, so best bet would not be to just try and pass the courses but to actually learn to ski (well)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Wayne wrote: |
Nodwas,
Ok then going to put my head above the parapet – so……
My opinion (which is frequently wrong ) is that if you’re British then you should join BASI. If you’re Austrian then join their association, French, Italian, German etc, join your own national association.
Now there “may” be good reason to joining another assoc. eg. You only want to work in the USA so you join the PSIA so you don’t get any grief over your qualifications, but other than I don’t really see the point in join foreign associations.
Of course once you have your ticket it’s a great idea to go along and take courses with other national assocs, to see how they differ and to be able to take various “bits” and combine them into your own style.
Oh yeah, I know loads of Italians who are in BASI – which I think is V weird.
So, if you're British then why not join BASI (we needs the subs )
skir67,
You can refresh every 3 years if your refresher was more than 1 day (I think )
If you contact Diane up in NorthEnglanShire she will give you the criteria |
The criteria is I believe 2 days every 2 years so I guess you could do a BASI course of some description of more than two days in length and that would cover you for 2 years. Obviously if you're no longer doing further qualifications then you can do a 1 day day refresher each year. I've heard BASI are looking at developing a 2 day course to cover you for 2 years in future.
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To Sue and Wayne. At the risk of provoking more derision..a little clarity!
Personal Austrian experience gleaned from working in the Amade over a couple of seasons with an Austrian Ski School has been nothing but helpful and informative. All my fellow Austrian instructors could not have been nicer and all willing to coach in their spare time. The experience of the Brits I worked with who had started out in the Austrian system was the opposite, especially if they weren't Alpine Skiers first. Those with an interest in the more exotic disciplines felt constrained and intimidated by the Austrian System (although they said it was different in the Tyrol to that in the Arlberg). So lesson identified I suppose is get your grounding through BASI and then mix and match to suit personal circumstances. As to the soft racist implication, my wife is Austrian, I'm buying a house there and we have no intention of keeping any offspring in cellars for 21 years!
Wayne, to quote the BBC this weekend; "The Italians who speak German and want to be Austrian," do things very differently to their Aosta counterparts. The comments on the Italian system were based on discussions with a number of Italians doing the BASI system in Zermatt over the last few seasons. Nearly all of them came form North West Italy and had similar tales to tell. Having lived in the Aosta for 3 years and seen the closed shop that is the Aosta ski schools (Interski employees may have similar stories) I have no reason to doubt them. Taking your comments and making a sensible deduction I would suggest that anyone wanting to train under the Italian system heads for the Dolomites.
Ciao Ciao.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
I've heard BASI are looking at developing a 2 day course to cover you for 2 years in future.
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that course has been in development for at least 4 years and doesnt seem any further along AFAIK
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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panaga52,
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| Personal Austrian experience gleaned from working in the Amade over a couple of seasons with an Austrian Ski School has been nothing but helpful and informative. All my fellow Austrian instructors could not have been nicer and all willing to coach in their spare time |
That seems totally at odds with your previous statement. This post is more helpful, but perhaps those who come into a system from outside, i.e. British skiers who were not Alpine skiers (WTF do they want to be instructors then?), have chosen the wrong system to enter.
I know from many years of experience working with both Austrian and French ski schools, there is more than a little friction caused by Brits who swan up expecting their credentials to be instantly recognised and to be welcomed with open arms because they want to be instructors for a while. The locals, however, have made the decision to make this their career, balancing the summer and winter incomes to enable them to be able to remain in their home locations. It is a totally different mind set from the a lot of L1s and L2s who have no interest in going any further than a couple of seasons and bragging rights back in the pub in Blighty.
Despite being married to an Austrian and planning to live there, your initial stereotypical statements were racist, as is the "humorous" aside about cellars! The Belgiums don't exactly have perfect record there do they? At least the Austrian cases got out alive!
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Poster: A snowHead
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[quote="Samerberg Sue"]panaga52,
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| Despite being married to an Austrian and planning to live there, your initial stereotypical statements were racist, as is the "humorous" aside about cellars! The Belgiums don't exactly have perfect record there do they? At least the Austrian cases got out alive! |
Dear Sue,
From the OED Definition of racist:
Noun: A person who believes that a particular race is superior to another.
Adjective: Having or showing the belief that a particular race is superior to another.
and Stereotype.
Noun: A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
So following that logically I have made a stereotypical remark, but plead not guilty on the racism slander. In your case I would suggest Defamation:
Noun : The action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel through unfounded allegations
Shall we call a truce?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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So can anybody offer a perspective from the BEES... Moniteur Stagiaire route? I lived in France for a few years and speak the language fluently. I have BASI 1 and teach as a volunteer at weekends here in the UK. I want to take it further with a view to a potential career change and would see France as the most likely destination for that. That said - the BEES route looks pretty heavy. Easier to go BASI 2 as next step?
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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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apprenticegazza, to train/work in France you will have to do the Test-Technique and, eventually, the Eurotest anyway. You can start working as a trainee if you do your BASI2 and then pass the Test Technique. Equally, you could do the French pre-formation and Test-Technique. Either way, youre going to have to train hard on slalom racing.
Test-Technique is tough, viewed by some as harder than the Eurotest for skiers without a slalom-racing background (which most of those who grew up in the French ESF / Ski-club system will have).
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FAQ
