Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership

Overview

Gain the skills and knowledge you need to be qualified as a group facilitator leading a variety of outdoor recreation activities in unmodified natural environments such as wild bushland, lakes, rivers, mountains, and alpine terrain. Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership is considered the default qualification in Australia required by employees who work for businesses involved in leading groups on adventures for educational, recreational, fitness, or tourism purposes. This qualification teaches technical skills in at least two different adventure activities to be able to safely guide groups. As well as guiding, a graduate is also taught how to plan and organise everything required to run an adventure activity. Risk and safety management are an important component of the course, and it is essential to be able to manage the technical safety issues within each activity, as well as the general health and safety of people. Common to all activities are group facilitation skills being able to keep people engaged, interested, entertained and informed while being guided. The core activities in the Certificate IV at Wodonga TAFE include advanced bushwalking, canoeing, and abseiling, with electives in other activities when a need arises.

Delivery Methods

• Blended – Teaching and assessment will be conducted on-campus and online.
• Traineeship – Teaching and assessment will be required to be conducted as part of a traineeship

Locations

• McKoy Street, Wodonga Vic (Main campus)

When You Can Enrol

• On-campus/blended: Please register your details via the ‘Enquire Now’ form to be notified when applications are open, or to chat to our friendly Customer Experience team.

• Traineeship: You will enrol with Wodonga TAFE as part of your traineeship with your employer. The Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) is your first point of contact for queries about a traineeship or apprenticeship, www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/about-aasn

Duration

Full-time: 1 year, Part-time: 2 years

Schedule

• On-campus/blended: The attendance schedule is for 3 days per week, plus 4 field trips that go for a whole week. Terms consist of 7 weeks attendance then 3 weeks break. While the majority of the course is taught offsite during field trips and camps, there are some classes scheduled for elements that are best suited to classroom teaching. All learning resources and assessments are accessed online.

• Traineeship - Individual training plans will be developed in consultation with your employer, as part of your traineeship. The course involves a 2-week block of training prior to the commencement of each Victorian school term x4, and 1 week to conclude the course in the second week of December. As well as attending the 5 blocks of practical training, trainees are also required to complete on average 3 hours online study per week during school terms and attend 3 online meetings with their teacher each term. Trainees are required to practise and keep up their practical skills in roping, paddling, and navigation.

• Course delivery locations: 87 McKoy Street, West Wodonga, Vic (Wodonga TAFE's main campus) is where all classes occur, and training excursions depart from and return to this location. Training excursions occur at a wide variety of outdoor locations, including: Mt Buffalo National Park, Mt Pilot National Park, Alpine National Park, Kosciuszko National Park, Woomargama National Park, Warby Ovens National Park, Murray River, Alans Flat Lake, Ovens River, Snowy Creek, Kiewa River, Lake Dartmouth, The Rock nature reserve, Lake Buffalo.

Requirements

There are no formal entry requirements, however the following is strongly advised:

• Applicants have completed Year 12 or are over age 18.
• Applicants need to have reasonable literacy, numeracy and computer skills to be able to engage with online learning and complete written assessments.
• Applicants should show a keen interest to spend many days in the remote outdoors without any urban comforts apart from what they carry.
• Applicants will need to maintain a reasonable level of fitness to be able to perform the physically challenging aspects of the course.
• Applicants will need to be able to carry one-third of your body weight and walk 12 kilometres per day over uneven ground for up to 6 days. Or similarly, be able to paddle 30 kilometres or 6 hours per day for 4 days.
• Applicants will need to be able to swim 200 metres across a lake or a fast-moving river wearing a lifejacket in a reasonable time
• Applicants will need to be willing to abseil over a 50 metre cliff and stay calm and controlled when exposed at heights.
• A volunteer Working With Children Check (Victoria) will be required to participate in some practical assessments. To apply visit the Victorian government's Working with Children Check webpage, https://www.vic.gov.au/working-with-children-check
• There is personal clothing and gear you will need to provide yourself to be able to complete all the activities and excursions that are involved in the course. You do not need all the gear right away, and there are significant discounts available through some suppliers once you are enrolled, but it is an expense you will encounter in the first month if you do not have the correctly clothing and gear already.

Personal clothing/gear:

• Outer Layer - Rain Jacket (waterproof and breathable material, Gore-Tex etc)
• Outer Layer- Rain Pants (waterproof and breathable material, Gore-Tex etc)
• Mid Layer - Pants, Shirt, Fleece (hard-wearing and quick-drying nylon, polyester, polar fleece)
• Base Layer - Underwear that wicks away sweat but also retains warmth. Long johns and long sleeve top, made from polypropylene or merino. (aka thermals)
• Extremities - Gloves, Socks, Beanie, Sun Hat
• Hiking boots - Sturdy soles that will not easily twist sideways, and will hold an edge and support ankles when carrying heavy packs.
• Gaiters - Protecting lower leg below the knee to the ankle when walking off track against snake bite, scratches and rain
• Silva expedition compass (for navigation, search and rescue).

Camping gear:

• Rucksack 75-100 litres. Recommended just one entry through top provides most weatherproof pack, with a quality adjustable harness and some external pockets for water bottle etc
• Tent - light hiking 2 person, 3 season, approx 2.5kg (room for one person to spread out all their gear on short trips, or two people to share on long hikes)
• Sleeping bag - compact water-resistant down with around 700grams of fill. Mummy shape helps save space and weight and are warmer.
• Sleeping Mat - most common is 25mm self-inflating mat full length or three-quarters.
• Cooker - most common is compact butane cooker with a pot and pan
• Head torch.

Field Placement

This course includes the opportunity for optional industry placement. You'll be able to work with an employer to gain hands-on, relevant industry skills. This will help you gain a broader understanding of the industry, and build direct connections and networks with employers.

Skills developed

- Leadership
- Outdoor survival
- Risk management
- Camp catering
- Navigation
- Nature conservation

Compulsory Units

HLTWHS003 Maintain work health and safety
PUAOPE013 Operate communications systems and equipment
SISOFLD002 Minimise environmental impact
SISOPLN001 Finalise operation of outdoor recreation activities
SISOPLN002 Plan outdoor activity sessions
SISOPLN004 Identify hazards, assess and control risks for outdoor recreation activities
SISOPLN005 Interpret weather and environmental conditions for outdoor recreation activities
SISORSC001 Conduct search and rescue
SISXCAI006 Facilitate groups
SISXCCS003 Address client needs
SISXEMR002 Coordinate emergency responses
SISXFAC001 Maintain equipment for activities
SISOABS003 Abseil single pitches, natural surfaces
SISOABS006 Establish ropes for single pitch abseiling on natural surfaces
SISOABS009 Lead single pitch abseiling activities on natural surfaces
SISOFLD006 Navigate in tracked environments
SISORSC002 Perform vertical rescues
SISOBWG003 Bushwalk in extremely difficult tracked and untracked environments
SISOBWG004 Cross rivers during bushwalks
SISOBWG007 Lead bushwalks in extremely difficult tracked and untracked environments
SISOFLD008 Navigate in extremely difficult tracked and untracked environments
SISOCNE002 Paddle a canoe on inland flatwater
SISOCNE003 Paddle a canoe on moving water up to grade 1 rivers
SISOCNE005 Lead canoeing activities on inland flatwater
SISOCNE006 Lead canoeing activities on moving water up to grade 1 rivers
SISOBWG006 Lead bushwalks in difficult tracked environments
SISCAQU002 Perform basic water rescues

Certification

On successfully completing this course you will receive a nationally recognised AQF qualification.

Fees

From 1 January 2019, Free TAFE for Priority Courses is a Victorian Government program that will pay your tuition fees to study in this selected course at Wodonga TAFE, if you’re eligible, subject to minimum numbers.

Government Funded $5,885.00 (Tuition $5,885.00, Materials $0.00)
Concession $1,177.00 (Tuition $1,177.00, Materials $0.00)
Fee For Service $16,050.00 (Tuition $16,050.00, Materials $0.00)

Fees Additional Information

The student tuition fees published are indicative only and can be subject to change given individual circumstances at the time of enrolment. Funding made available to eligible individuals by State and Commonwealth Governments. If funding is utilised, this may affect opportunities to access additional funding in the future. For more information see ‘Fee information and eligibility’ under the ‘How to Apply’ tab on the Wodonga TAFE website.

There is personal clothing and gear you will need to provide yourself to be able to complete all the activities and excursions that are involved in the course. You do not need all the gear right away, and there are significant discounts available through some suppliers once you are enrolled, but it is an expense you will encounter in the first month if you do not have the correctly clothing and gear already. See ‘Requirements’ for additional information relevant to personal clothing and gear requirements.

Careers

Ongoing consultation with industry ensures we deliver courses that maximise employment opportunities for our graduates in a diverse range of roles throughout the outdoor education, recreation, and tourism industries:

• Group leader who works on an outdoor education program
• Activity specialist for an adventure company
• Tour guide for an ecotourism company
• Expedition leader for an adventure travel company
• Freelance outdoor guide or instructor
• Recreational officer at a tourist resort
• Youth support worker for a recreational community health service
• Activities coordinator for a government sport and recreation program.

There is currently high job demand for those who perform to a high standard throughout the course and graduate with a Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership. Many of the employers where former graduates have found work include: Outward Bound Australia, Southbound Adventures, Optimum Experiences, Outdoor Education Group, Boomerang Adventures, Bindaree Outdoors, Absolute Outdoors Australia, Adventure Guides Australia, Adventure Plus, ALI - Action Learning Initiatives, Hall’s Outdoor Education, Higher Ground Adventures, Howmans Gap Alpine Centre, Lands Edge Foundation, Licola Wilderness Village, PGL, Somerset Learning Centre, Tasmanian Expeditions, Total Adventures, Wilderness Escape Outdoor Adventure, Kangaroo Island Resort.

Pathways

Successful completion of this qualification may provide you with credits into a university degree, such as the Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Outdoor Leadership specialisations) at Charles Sturt University. Please contact higher education providers directly for their relevant credit pathways. Study pathways with Wodonga TAFE

How to apply

Apply online via the ‘Apply Now’ button. If the course is not available for online application, register your details via the ‘Enquire Now’ form to be notified when future dates are scheduled, or to chat to our friendly Customer Experience team.

Once you submit an application for this course you will receive a separate email from LLN Robot to complete both a Digital Assessment and a Learning, Reading, Writing, Oral and Numeracy Assessment (LLN Assessment) online.

Please check your junk mail if this does not come to your inbox. All students are asked to complete the Digital and LLN assessments to determine any support requirements and to ensure the course and mode of delivery is suitable for the student.

Please allow one hour to complete the Digital and LLN assessments. You will need a computer with speakers or headphones as there is an audio section in the LLN assessment.

Your LLN and Digital assessments will need to be completed one week after receiving it to progress your application to the next stage, or your application may be withdrawn due to inactivity.

If you are unable to access the LLN assessment or the Digital assessment links please contact our Customer Experience team as soon possible.

Note: Completion of the LLN and Digital assessments does not guarantee a place in the course at Wodonga TAFE. Numbers are limited and selected applicants will be contacted to attend an interview. If an applicant is not accepted into their preferred course they will be contacted and provided information on alternate pathways and/or courses.

For traineeship information and enrolments, the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) is your first point of contact for queries about a traineeship or apprenticeship, www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/about-aasn.

Please note: We reserve the right to close course intakes early. Many courses have limited places and high demand. Early applications are recommended. We reserve the right to cancel intakes and courses if there are insufficient student numbers.