How have new industry regulations created opportunities
for UKSA graduates?
Is the UKSA for the UK industry only?
How is UKSA respected in the industry?
Are there jobs available once I finish a course?
What about salaries?
I've been working in another industry for 10 years,
is it too late to take up a career in watersports?
New
regulations herald the need for properly trained and qualified staff
In watersports the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority
regularly inspects centres around the UK and recognises National
Governing Body awards as the only proof of competence. The constant
threat of litigation has forced many centres to abandon the use
of unqualified staff and most will now only employ instructors with
a minimum of three disciplines at instructor level with the prerequisite
powerboat, first aid, Short Range Radio and lifesaving qualifications.
In addition, the overseas market has become increasingly sophisticated,
and operators have realised that they cannot get away with unqualified
instructors. This drive to provide quality watersports has resulted
in a global shortage of qualified instructors, waterfront managers
and resort managers and as a result salaries are starting to soar.
On the yachting side the same has occurred. The Marine
Coastguard Agency (MCA) started with their regulation of Pilot Boats,
Sail Training Vessels and Charter boats and this has been closely
followed by increased enforcement of the MCA regulations for private
yachts. The MCA is now internationally recognised as the benchmark
for construction and as a result many yards are now building to
MCA standards. This has impressed on many skippers and owners the
need to man their vessels to MCA levels. The insurers have in many
cases reinforced this position by refusing to insure a vessel unless
the qualifications of the staff meet MCA requirements. The net result
of this tightening up of the regulations is that many of the existing
workforce are having to come back and re-train if they want to retain
their existing jobs.
Our Graduates have a distinct advantage over the others in
the workplace because of the range of skills and qualifications
they hold and as a result they often get promoted more rapidly and
have a greater earning potential.
The MCA, RYA and other UK awarding bodies have long been recognised
as offering the best qualifications globally and provide the basis
for the competitive advantage that our training will give you.
A global market
for a global industry
20% of our clients come from overseas and approximately 90% of the
job opportunities that we find are based overseas. We are constantly
adapting to the challenges and demands of communicating with our
network of global contacts. Our Graduates can subscribe to our free
weekly e-mail jobs bulletin board to keep them in touch with the
new jobs in the industry. We also circulate our twice-yearly newsletter,
Wavefront, to keep Graduates up to date with other industry news
and the additions to our training programmes. Finally this site
offers an up to date picture of the Academy and its activities 24
hours a day.
The cutting
edge of training development
Many training establishments tend to follow in the wake of employment
needs - we lead. The quality of our graduates and the customer feedback
they generate has convinced many companies of the commercial value
of well trained and qualified staff. National governing bodies have
adopted some of our proven training concepts and other companies
around the globe have attempted to copy our training programmes.
We are currently in discussions with six countries around the world
who wish to adopt our model for their National Centres.
A change of lifestyle?
At least 70% of our client base consists of 'career change' professionals.
People who for one reason or another have decided it's time for
a change.
Over the years these have included the likes of doctors, dentists,
money market dealers, farmers, mechanics, hotel workers, IT professionals,
investment bankers, electronics engineers, a satellite programmer
and a number of teachers. Occasionally we even get the MD of a large
corporation who has given up the corporate dream for a life afloat.
Many of these people have "skills sets" that the industry is searching
for, but in addition they all have one thing in common...
They all want to change their lives...
Perhaps they have sat in traffic for too long, or they are fed up
with getting up in the morning not sure if they want to go in to
work but somewhere in it all the light has dawned and they have
said ...
There must be more to life than this ...
Indeed there IS and we can help you find it. We specialise in assisting
people in the transfer of their skills from a wide range of other
industries and dovetailing them into the needs of ours.
For those of you lucky enough not to need
a job...
We also have an increasing number of people ( often husband and
wife teams ) who have no intention of working in the industry at
all but have bought, or are in the process of buying, their own
boat and setting off around the world. They have quite rightly identified
that our training can offer them all the knowledge that they need
to conduct such a voyage in confidence and safety with the ability
to maintain their craft themselves. It's not always a global voyage
that is planned. Some people book our training to improve their
coastal cruising, some book just because it is "something they have
always wanted to do" and others book for the Palm Trees in the Caribbean
or for the fun they know they will have on the course.
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