Not sure about Uni? I trained and worked as an Outdoor Instructor instead. AMA

Hey there! I'm a very outdoorsy person too and got my BCU 1, 2 and 3* and completed my BCU FSRT. By having these qualifications, does this reduce the cost in any way, or do I work my way round it by spending more time in other aspects of the course?

Also I've calculated the total cost inc the extras and it comes up to nearly £8500, which is a lot. Would you say that it is worth the money and would being an outdoors instructor help make a good return on the cost?

Hey!
It was definitely worth it for me!
I also already had those paddling qualifications (and was a level 1 coach as well) and I did my level 2 instead. Dave tailors the course so that people get as much out of it as they possibly can.

It is a lot of money, (you can get a loan if you need). Everyone I did the course with loved it and got a job before the end, (in France, the UAE, Wales, Scotland, Devon and the Lakes) - you're certainly not going to make millions doing this job, (but you would make enough to pay back the loan) but when the lake or crag or mountain is your "office" its awesome!!

The NGB qualifications are all expensive however you do them, and you need them to do well in the industry (and get a paid job rather than a volunteer role etc). When I started working at an outdoor centre in the lakes I was better qualified than people who'd been in the industry for several years.
The course gave me a brilliant 6 months, I had loads of fun and exciting adventures and made friends for life. The skills I learned are transferable and very sought after by employers and it was a lot cheaper than going straight to uni to do a degree I wasn't sure about!

I've only done a little bit of climbing and I'm not sure I'm good enough to train as an instructor. How good do you need to be?
Is everyone on the course already really good at climbing and canoeing and everything?

Thanks for your answer. I'm glad you're in a similar case to me as I'm planning to get my level 1 coach soon, but I may delay it if I consider going on this course!

I'll definitely consider this as I really want to make a living out of doing the things I love, which is exploring the great outdoors. Adventure is something I truly strive for so doing this can give me an insight towards career options in the future, especially when leadership, communication and teamwork skill is a strong asset in most job sectors as well.

Did you work at Lakeside?

It's fantastic, everyone I trained with loved the course and are now working around the UK and abroad, loving it!
It's a good option instead of uni, you'll be working in a fun and rewarding job by next summer

It was in the Lake District, which is an amazing place to live if you're into the mountains etc