Course details

Summary

The Diploma programme progresses your own technical skills to the next level and introduces you to the exciting world of sharing your skills with others. If you're passionate about the outdoors, what better way to earn a living than sharing you passion with like-minded people!

You will work with a wide variety of real clients in organised, supervised instruction and guiding opportunities, receiving regular feedback and mentoring to improve your practice and prepare you for leading others out in the industry.

The nationally recognised New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA) Leader qualifications are embedded into our programmes. They give you a kick start in the industry and connect you with the wider instruction and guiding community.

Business and language skills are increasingly important in the global economy. Our students are encouraged to integrate papers of the New Zealand Diploma in Business/NZIM Diploma in Management into their course of study, giving them an edge over the competition.

Generally you will need to have completed our Certificate programme to gain entry into the Diploma, however if you think you have the prerequisite skills for direct entry, give us a call and we can discuss your options.

Further Study Options

• TPP Diploma in Ecotourism (Level 5)
• CPIT Programme Pathway - Bachelor of Sustainability & Outdoor Education (Level 7) Download brochure

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Diploma in Outdoor Instruction and Guiding are capable of leading groups and managing clients or student's safety in a range of outdoor settings in the education or tourism sectors.

The personal technical skill-set of graduates will be equivalent that required by professional level qualifications (NZOIA, SKOANZ, NZRA) so graduates are capable of operating in moderate to high risk outdoor settings. This recognises a fundamental principle in outdoor leadership; that an instructor or guide must be able to safely and effectively operate in risk settings that are higher than those in which they may be expected to manage client safety.

Graduates will specialise in technical pursuit instruction, education or tourism experience management.

Knowledge and skills in safety management and group leadership will allow graduates to make proactive decisions in the field. This creates the potential to guide and instruct clients, unsupervised, in a variety of outdoor settings of low to moderate risk.

Group facilitation, presentation and teaching skills will allow graduates to effectively deliver the stated outcomes of the organization they represent. These could include technical skill delivery and instruction, personal development, environmental and health education and tourism experience management.

Knowledge of Aotearoa New Zealand's special flora and fauna, its geophysical and socio-cultural make-up along with contemporary studies of global and local environmental issues allow graduates to “tell the story” of New Zealand while enlightening and entertaining their clients or students.

Entry criteria

• Applicants for whom English is a second language must meet IELTS (or equivalent) Level 5.5 with no band lower than 5.0
• Applicants must have attended a minimum of four years secondary schooling and successfully completed NCEA Level Two (or equivalent), inclusive of credits in Science
• Applicants must have completed a first year Outdoor Education programme to level four or provide evidence of equivalent prior outdoor experience and academic ability
• Applicants must hold a current First Aid Certificate
• Applicants must to meet and document a range of outdoor experience requirements.