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INSTRUCTOR AND COACH QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE NSSA
INSTRUCTOR AND COACH
QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE NSSA
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As an organisation building participation in snowsports via schools, the NSSA is proud to partner with IASI (The Irish Association of Snowsports Instructors) to be able to offer the opportunity to schools snowsports athletes of taking instructing and coaching qualifications including GAP courses which can allow successful candidates to teach in the alps. IASI qualifications are internationally recognised.
Access the Instructor Pathway from 14 years old with the National Schools Snowsports Association and IASI.
We work with Impulse and Ski Definition as partner organisations offering UK courses for the IASI assistant instructor and L1 Instructor qualification. These are the first steps on the pathway and the assistant instructor will allow you to assist on another instructors lessons* while the full level one will allow you to complete all the modules of the Level one and be licensed by your 16th birthday when you will be able to teach in a closed environment such as a UK indoor or dry slope.

Assistant Instructor Course at 14 years old -
Two day course giving you an understanding of the teaching process and the tools to help at a local ski school/slope. We will be running these around the UK at various facilities.
Level One Instructor Course from 15 years old - This is a 5 day course (UK) or a 6 day (on the mountain) and will work on your skiing and give you the tools required to start your teaching career, whether you intend to become a full time instructor or just use this for your personal development, this is a great course to take.
Level one race coach - We also run this course with IASI which will work hand in hand with the teaching course to give you the tools to start race coaching with a club**
Bespoke Courses:
We can also run bespoke courses, solely for either one school/club or for several trainees across several schools with minimum of 5 and maximum of 8 per course running either 5 days in a row, two weekends or over 12 x 3 hour evenings, whichever can be accommodated to allow participants to complete the course.
The standard course includes • Exam Fee • Slope access • Rental equipment - Skis, Poles, Helmet • Exam Work Book • Exam Reference book • IASI membership is an additional £35
Our partner, Ski Definition also offer L2 courses in the alps during the winter.
Please contact us on office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk for information or to book
Alpine courses and GAP programmes
The NSSA partner with several organisations for GAP courses and training and stand alone Level 2 courses, and above for the IASI Instructor qualifications. The level 2 will allow you to teach in in the mountains with ski schools in Italy and Switzerland or further afield in Japan or the emerging skiing market of China.
For stand-alone level 2 courses, which can be taken in modular form with 2 days in a UK indoor centre and 4 on the mountain, we work with Ski Definition.
https://www.skidefinition.com
For GAP courses, we work with Warren Smith Snowsports Academy (see pages30-31), who offer a successful GAP programme during the summer or autumn giving the opportunity to pass and then work from December that season. Or they offer a winter gap programme in Verbier. https://www.skidefinition.com
For further information on these, please contact
office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk
Over the next year, the NSSA will be able to select candidates for funded instructor courses – Look out for how to apply for these.
For full validation of any teaching and coaching qualifications, the following must also be held. • First Aid Qualification • Child Protection Module • Shadowing Hours
* Centre/slope Permitting. ** Complimentary to the teaching pathway – not a stand alone qualification.