National Riverboard Guide Awards
Course details
About the course
Who are these awards for?
These awards are for people working in the outdoor recreation industry who wish toguide commercial riverboardtrips on New Zealandwhitewater rivers.
Riverboard guides are strong, fit, quick-thinking and unflappable. Highly energetic by nature, they know how to get people revved up for a trip down the rapids, while making sure the expedition is safe, fun and positive for one and all. Their training and know-how enables them to respond calmly and competently when things get tricky or the weather turns bad.
These awards are are designed to be delivered on-the-job in the great outdoors.
To commercially guide within New Zealand, you need to hold the appropriate raft or riverboarding award. The New Zealand Rivers Association and Skills Active have worked hard to develop a qualification system that reflects the high quality of guiding required in New Zealand.
The trainee chooses one of five strands:
Riverboard Guide Grade 2
Riverboard Guide Grade 3
Senior Riverboard Guide Grade 3
Riverboard Guide Grade 4/5
Senior Riverboard Guide Grade 4/5
For more information, please read the Riverboard Guide Award Pathway.
What's involved?
Understanding and applying introductory riverboard guiding skills; and understanding river rescue techniques for Grade 2 rivers.
Demonstrating riverboard guiding skills for Grade 3 rivers; preparing and guiding a riverboard trip; and applying river rescue techniques for Grade 3 rivers.
Planning a guided riverboard trip, managing riverboard groups as a senior riverboard guide for Grade 3 rivers, and applying serious incident management skills for Grade 3 rivers.
Demonstrating riverboard guiding skills for Grade 4/5 rivers; preparing and guiding a riverboard trip; and applying river rescue techniques for Grade 4/5 rivers.
Planning a guided riverboard trip, managing riverboard groups as a senior riverboard guide for Grade 4/5 rivers, and applying serious incident management skills for Grade 4/5 rivers.
About the provider
Te Mahi Ako is a Private Training Enterprise (PTE) funded by the government to create world-class, nationally-recognised programmes linked to qualifications that staff can complete on the job. The benefit of on-the-job training is that you are earning an income, gaining a qualification, and getting real-life experience, all in one go. And because Te Mahi Ako’s programmes are government-subsidised, they are very affordable.
Te Mahi Ako works with a wide range of facilities throughout New Zealand, from small to large. Te Mahi Ako or the facility will provide learning resources and assessment tasks for the staff member, and supporting materials will help the workplace to deliver the training. In some cases, an organisation’s own in-house training programme will be aligned to a Te Mahi Ako programme, so staff members who complete the in-house training will simultaneously earn a national qualification. Te Mahi Ako also has a Recognition of Current Competency process, which means that you may be able to get your existing skills and experience recognised through a qualification.
To enrol in a Te Mahi Ako on-the-job qualification, you must be employed in the industry or be a volunteer. Make sure to check with the business that you’re working in, or would like to work in, to see if they are already registered with Te Mahi Ako.
For more information go to: www.temahiako.org.nz