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Having recently been made redundant i'm giving serious thought to training as a mtb leader/instructor in order to work for my local authority's various outdoor related activities.
I have no qualifications as yet and as such i've just been down to offer my services as a volunteer. Hopefully this will get my face in the door once i have got some qualifications.
I understand the CTC do a nationally recognised certificate, also know i will need a CRB check before i'm allowed to do anything.
Does anyone have any tips/info/helpful advice?
I know i'm never going to get rich doing this but i wasn't in my last job either!
I have been wondering the same thing myself... I few people have suggested that getting you mountain leader is not a bad idea as well...
From what i was told today, a level 1 leadership will basically allow you to take a bunch of kids around the park.
Level 2 is the one that will allow them into the hills with you.
I'm going to be in touch with the Council's Cycling Development Officer as well, ideally i'd like a job with these organisations helping people to get out on their bikes both as a hobby/general fitness and as a way of reducing the level of vehicles on the daily commute.
Quite scary really, i've absolutely no idea of what's involved but what have i got to lose?
Have a look for Sustrans Bike It officer adverts?
Good luck with whatever you do MD. A change of career can often result from redundancy.
Since I got the shove in January I've been doing freelance training work and trying to build a customer base so that if I can't get a new job, (no luck so far in 6 months) I'll hopefully be able to make a living from the training.
Are you claiming JSA or mortgage payments on a payment protection insurance? If you are just make sure you don't go over the 16 hours a week limit for work, paid or unpaid, otherwise they are both likely to stop!
Not sure how much of a "living" one can make, MD, but i guess only you know what income works for you.
Ever since Mrs North said "sod it, let's sell up and set up a guest house on the Pyrennees where you can run cycling holidays", I've been contemplating "earning a living from cycling".
Have a think about other elements of working in cycling, as well as riding instruction. You may find that a combination of more than one would be a good idea.
That's just it - for me the instruction side of things would be just the beginning, ultimately i would like to be working in a holistic way, not just instructing but being part of the development team etc.
Currently claiming JSA & hoping desperately that my mortgage protection insurance is going to cough up the promised 125% of my monthly payments.
I wasn't aware that unpaid work (i.e. volunteering) may potentially affect my cash flow (hahahahahahahaha..........)
good luck md i have also been contemplating a career change into the cycling world (sounds like the world and his wife are too) but haven`t got a clue how to start and how much it would cost, gaz
the training days like health and safety and guide levels can be done over a matter of weekends and are really easy if your of reasonable fitness and sense.
my mate did it 7 days before he had a place in canada guiding
remember tho if you work in the industry it doesnt become a hobby anymore
I work as a biking/climbing,outdoor type activity instructor for my local authority,the OTC level2 course(think it's called trail leader) is the minimum you will need,along with a decent first aid qualification and a CRB check,you should be able to pick up sessional work and if you're any good/reliable etc you will soon pick up work Give it a go,what's the worst that can happen?
Getting your Mountain Leader qualification is a good idea if you want to lead groups on hiking or climbing trips etc,but not really needed for teaching/instructing mtbing,it's also very expensive and time consuming,get a job in the industry then get your employer to pay for it!
Difficult to get much of a living from cycling, but I make a few nice bottles of single malt per month in payment for coaching 🙂
Chilli - all this is a completely new area to me.
How much is the Level 2 course?
The local authority trust Co that has responsibility for this area is called Link4Life, went in today to volunteer & it was intimated that a CRB check may be paid for by the Co as i'm a dole dosser.
They have asked me to create a cycling-related CV, not quite sure how to word that - been MTB'ing for 10+yrs, commuting for 15yrs and am reasonable at basic maintainance.
Anyone know how much a CRB check is if i have to pay for it?
No limit on how much unpaid work you can do while claiming JSA if I remember correctly.
Stick me in the back room with a cup of tea, a box of tools & the fleet of 30 trek bikes to fettle & i'll be a happy bloke! 😀
I got made redundant last Christmas and for 3 months I was looking for work but also doing a fair bit of freelance photography and writing for the bike industry.
I was subsequently re-employed by the company that had sent me packing only 3 months before but recently I got invited to interview following a job app I'd done back in May. Went to interview, got the job and I'm now working out my notice period before I change from my current job (synthetic organic chemist) to my new one (Events Organisation for British Cycling!) 🙂
That redundancy was the kickstart of a career change and although it's not working for myself as a guide or anything it's still cycling and there's plenty of opportunity within BC to do other things.
They also have a coaching structure if you're interested in that kind of thing - schools coaching right up through Talent Team stuff.
The coaching thing may not be the right thing for me although i will definitely look at the BC website.
I am looking at the whole 'health/activity' focus of the local authority as it seems the MTB thing is growing in importance for them. Suppose it's because it's off road away from traffic?
Apparently the outdoor centre take people around the Mary Towneley Loop on a two-day trek for the advanced training session..
How easy is that? 😆
crazy-legs - that's excellent.
Crb is £37 is
I do alot of cyling in my job, but don't 'earn a living' doing it.
Mountain biking is part of my week job, working at a NT outdoor ed and environmental centre and I freelance at weekends at another outdoor centre leading coasteering and mountain biking sessions.
I have a Summer Mountain Leader award, and a BSCA MTB leader award and am OTC (now CTC) Level 2 award.
All my qualifications were either paid for by my employer or by the Princes Trust when I was on a training scheme run by them years ago.
My advice would be to use your spare time to volunteer at outdoor centres that run MTB courses, your years of experience will help you here. In time offer to 'run' sessions while the leader acts as your assistant. Any (knackered) instructor will jump at the chance of taking the odd session easy if they think you are up to it (I use and abuse my volunteer assistants on a regular basis and they love it 🙂 ). Then you can build up a good logbook and if a centre likes you and offers you work then they 'may' help with your costs when it comes to getting qualifications.
Also don't become MTB specific, it's fairly easy over time to get basic quals in canoeing or climbing etc which will make you more employable. A 1st aid certificate will do you a huge amount of good, but don't get too hung up on CRB yet, any potential centre that takes you on even as a volunteer will probably want to ge their own check done at their expense. We do anyway.
Hope this helps. Email in profile if I can help more.
That's brilliant Crazy-Legs! Congrats.
Aye, well done Crazy-Legs.
I will take your case as inspiration!
Cheers Lister.
The canoeing would be good - the climbing is a non starter as i suffer from vertigo!
The outdoor centre did mention about doing a CRB check, i wouldn't expect not to have to undergo such anyway.
I'm really looking forward to this. I reckon i can pay for a course out of my redundancy (when i finally get it) so that's not a problem. I'm a good worker - only missed 3 days in the last two yrs.
As well as the oudoor centre i aim to get involved with the Rochdale Council Cyling Development Officer, between the two i think i will find my niche.
im mias qualified and doing both national standards and ctc skills instructor training.
have crb etc..and setting up as we speak 🙂
Nice one Crazy legs. Sounds like you'll be working with my pal, Phil.
Bloody hell, at this rate there won't be any jobs left for me!
muddydwarf - go for it, you never know til you've tried. I had a horrendous 3 months out of work, was really struggling to pay bills etc so when the chemical company offered me my job back I had no alternative but to accept.
But thanks to some of the contacts within cycling I had made in that time I found out about other jobs, got myself some volunteer stuff and it all helped come interview time.
Thanks for the good wishes, I'm really looking forward to the new job. 🙂