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Is A Ski Instructing Course With WSC Worth The Money?
Guide Summary
The cost of an instructor course or internship may seem daunting and expensive at first, but once you break down individual costs, you’ll realise our courses offer significant value. It’s also important to consider that it’s not a wasted investment; you’ll come out of your course with international certification as a ski instructor or patroller and be employable worldwide. Our internships also allow you to work, meaning you’ll earn while away. In this blog, we break down the cost of a course and ask, is it worth the money?
A Ski Course v Ski Internship
The cost of an internship is generally far lower than a standard Ski instructor course. However, interns become responsible for accommodation and meals once they commence work.
On the other hand, ski instructor courses provide a structured approach to skill development over an extended period. Throughout the course, participants progress through various levels of certification while staying in comfortable accommodation with all expenses covered. Despite the higher upfront cost, participants benefit from having more training time before exams and the chance to gain Levels 1 and 2. Ski Instructor courses do not come with a guaranteed job like the internship course; however, the qualifications and experience give you a solid foundation to go on to find paid work. The decision on whether to do a course or an internship may come down to time. Our internships usually last an entire season, meaning you do become responsible for accommodation and other expenses. However, the money you earn whilst working should cover these expenses. Our courses may be a more viable option for those with limited time, and you can enjoy your time in the resort knowing that all expenses are covered.
Our Level 1 Internships at Panorama Mountain Resort and Sun Peaks start at £5550
Our 8-Week Fast Track Level 1 and 2 starts at £6550
Ski Instructor Training Costs
Unlike a regular ski holiday, a ski instructor course with the Winter Sports Company provides weeks of world-class training from some of the top professionals in the industry. Most trainers are Level 4 certified. In preparation for your certification exams, you’ll be put through weeks of training to get you ready. If you were to seek out this sort of training on your own, you’d be paying hundreds of dollars every day for a private lesson, and it would be difficult to guarantee you’d be taught by the same calibre of instructors we can provide. A full day private lesson in Canada is approximately $600, 12 days of private training would you see you spend $7200!! That’s over £4000, just for the pre-course training. That doesn’t include what you’d spend on accommodation for yourself, food, flights, etc. Our courses are worth the money just for the training you’ll receive—instruction from Level 3 and 4’s specific to your certification exams.
6 Week Advanced Level 3 Ski Instructor Course
Ski Season Accommodation
If you’ve been on a few ski holidays, you’ll know that accommodation in a ski resort is never the cheapest. Sure, you could find a relatively inexpensive hostel or something similar, but if you’re spending multiple weeks in a ski resort, training to become an instructor, you’d want some comfort. Taking even one of our short 3-5 week courses, three weeks accommodation between the 25th November to the 16th December in the same lodge we use would set you back $4853 (prices as of 17/06/2024). That’s just accommodation and doesn’t include any training, lift tickets, etc. You make a considerable saving on accommodation when booking with us. You’ll make an even bigger saving for longer courses of 8 and 11 weeks.
Ski Season Lift Pass
Not to be overlooked. A season lift pass at any major resort is a sizeable investment. All of our courses provide you with a season’s lift pass, meaning that expense is already covered, and if you decide to extend your stay, that lift pass is yours and gives you skiing and riding for the whole season. This offers you great flexibility and options. Season pass holders are also often afforded discounts at the resort, meaning retail, food and beverage and other amenities are more affordable. Who doesn’t love a cheap après beer?
Ski Instructor Exam Fees And Membership
If forking out thousands of dollars for training wasn’t enough, you must pay the membership fee to the applicable association and the exam fees to become a qualified instructor. Some of our courses include the cost of both the Level 1 and 2 exams plus the membership fees. Not only will you make a saving, but it also takes some of the stress out of planning your trip. Remember, it’s not just financial gains you’ll make booking with us; we take care of admin and logistics to ensure your trip is as smooth as possible, and you can just focus on the skiing and riding.
Ski Employment Opportunities
The value of our courses extends way beyond the initial booking. Once your course concludes and you’ve successfully obtained certification, we can help you secure employment if that’s something you’d be interested in. We have contacts with many ski schools and point you in the right direction. Our locations include Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Japan! Don’t forget you’ll also forge close relationships with the ski school whilst on your course. You’ll be trained by the top pros of the ski school so its easy to make connections and plant the seed for future employment. We have several case studies to prove that our courses set you up for success.
Is A Ski Instructor Course Worth The Money?
We believe our true value is in our service and care towards our clients. We make an effort to get to know you and ensure you have a great time whilst away. We’re always on hand and our service extends beyond the completion of your course.
Seeing a price tag of several thousand pounds for a course or internship can be pretty daunting. However, when you add the cost of accommodation, meals, lift pass, and ski/snowboard lessons in a premium ski resort. Plus, with flights and other included services, the price is comparable, if not better value for money compared to DIY. We also offer flexible payments. Once you’ve paid the deposit, we can accept payments as frequently as you need, whether a small amount every other week or a lump sum 12 weeks before you travel. We advise having savings before you arrive so you don’t have to stress about emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.
If you have any questions or are interested in taking a course with us, please us this page to contact us.
FAQs
To become a ski instructor in Canada you must successfully pass the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) Level 1 instructor course as a minimum requirement. To increase your employability and work internationally, you need to obtain your CSIA Level 2 after further training. Similarly you can achieve a secondary pathway through the newly formed Professional Ski Instructors of Canada (PSIC). Both governing bodies’ qualifications and prior training programmes are available through the Winter Sports Company. Getting a ski instructor job in a resort will be achievable with these certifications and guidance.
If you are a capable skier, simply attending a three- or 5-day course and examination will entitle you to become a level 1 ski instructor upon successful completion. If you still need to gain sufficient skills, then a standard timeframe to train to this level can be around 3-4 weeks for Level 1 and another 5-7 weeks for Level 2. The Level 2 exams are completed within six days after the preparation and training.
If above 15, given the right attitude and ability, anyone can be a ski instructor. Training through a provider like the Winter Sports Company can ensure a speedy journey to becoming a ski instructor. Embarking on an intense training programme is a surefire way of learning the correct methods and, more importantly, understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses so that the student can improve through learning, practising and teaching the techniques and skills associated with a ski instructor.
A ski Season CV is specifically tailored to successfully finding a job within the ski industry. It needs to detail your previous snow experience, your existing qualifications, your previous work placements. This can be tweaked to provide information to future employers for roles both on or off the slopes including chalet host, ski instructor, hospitality, or lift operations to name a few. Some countries call it a resume, some a C.V so research the general format that employers are used to seeing and align your attributes to the role in question.
