Provider and Director Applications

All applicants should familiarise themselves with the provider pages of the website which outlines the quality assurance and course guidance procedures. Mountain Training Cymru's provider and course director page can be found here

In all cases, the application must be submitted by the provider not the potential course director or tutor. Course directors and tutors have no status unless they are attached to approved providers. Mountain Training Cymru does not approve course directors and tutors who are not assigned to a specific provider. Course directors and tutors must read and ensure they understand their responsibilities as outlined in the Leadership Schemes Quality Manual and the Skills Schemes Quality Manual. Essential and desirable qualities for course director and tutors are outlined in the application form.

Applicants should familiarise themselves with Mountain Training Cymru's 2020-2023 strategic plan 'Learn Lead Inspire'.

NEW APPLICATIONS

Application forms are available by contacting MTC's Executive Officer, Simon Patton via email: simon@mountain-training.org

EXISTING PROVIDERS ADDING COURSE DIRECTORS AND SCHEMES

If you are already an approved provider and you wish to add another course director or another scheme to your provider account, you will need to complete an application form available from Simon Patton. Please be aware that the full application fee still applies.

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE

Due to the impact of the pandemic, Mountain Training Cymru is currently not accepting applications for new providers. Existing providers who would like to apply for additional schemes or add new course directors and/or tutors, should contact the Executive Officer, Simon Patton, to discuss how this may take place. In all cases, all applications must be submitted by the provider not the potential course director or tutor.

APPLICATION FEE

Please be aware that formal submission of your application incurs a non-refundable fee of £50. This fee is inclusive of one course director or tutor. Any additional course directors or tutors who you wish to add cost an additional £20 per application.

APPLICATION OUTCOME DATE

Please contact the Executive Officer for more information.

WHAT DOES IT COST TO BE A PROVIDER?

If the provider application is approved then all nominated course directors/tutors are required to attend the induction workshops for the schemes they are approved for. Within each 3 year period all directors/tutors are required to attend a 1 day update workshop.
Cost: £50 per director/tutor.

Providers are required on an annual basis to pay the provider fee. The first year is free.
Cost: £125 per year (this includes 1 nominated director/tutor).

Providers are required to pay an annual fee for each additional course/director nominated to them.
Cost: £20 per additional director/tutor.

All qualification schemes incur a course fee charge to Mountain Training.
Cost: £6 per course place.

INDUCTION EVENTS

All successful course directors and tutors must attend the relevant induction workshop(s) below:

Monday 1st March 2021: Rock Climbing Instructor, Climbing Wall Instructor and Climbing Wall Development Instructor
Tuesday 2nd March 2021: Indoor Climbing Assistant
Wednesday 3rd March 2021: Lowland Leader, Hill and Moorland Leader and Mountain Leader
Saturday 6th March 2021: Hill & Mountain Skills
Sunday 7th March 2021: Rock Skills

PROVIDERS

A provider can be an individual or an organisation. In all cases a nominated course director/tutor is required to run each course. Providers are able to apply for multiple director/tutors for a variety of schemes, all of which are required to attend the appropriate induction event if approved. In the case of a sole trader the provider and course director can be the same person.

Mountain Training Cymru ensures that sufficient numbers of providers are available across Wales to promote and administer the schemes. The aim is to strike a balance between ensuring sufficient numbers of providers to the number of potential participants and candidates.

A provider can be an individual or an organisation. The provider is required to have the following attributes:

Be an established business or organisation, who can demonstrate evidence of successfully promoting and administering mountaineering based activities.
Have access to a range of potential user groups who would be suitable for attendance on the schemes being applied for.
Have access to a variety of resources and equipment to enable effective participation during courses (eg. briefing rooms, walking equipment for participants).
Be located (or have the means to be located) in suitable terrain areas for the delivery of the schemes being applied for.

The scheme handbooks (supported by Mountain Training’s Rock Climbing, Hill Walking, Navigation in the Mountains books), Mountain Training website and Mountain Training Cymru’s Provider Area are all key sources of information and resources for all providers.

Providers are required to follow the working practices setup within the Leadership Awards and Skills Scheme Quality Manuals, which specifically lists the responsibilities of the provider.

ESTABLISHED BUSINESS

Provider applications are expected to demonstrate that they have an established business with evidence of previously running, or demand for, mountaineering based courses and that they have an effective means of generating new business through potential client groups. MTC would normally not approve provider status for new businesses unless a robust, evidence based business plan is deemed strong enough to support. By approving a new provider, it is expected that they will help increase the overall number of new candidates.

CANDIDATE CATCHMENT

Provider applications must demonstrate a means of gaining and encouraging new candidates to undertake courses, rather than competing with existing, established providers. Evidence should be supplied with the application, and in particular any links with organisations that would support the application. Evidence of marketing material, links with organisations, user groups or existing client groups will help Mountain Training Cymru consider the application.

COURSE PLACES

Mountain Training Cymru expects providers to deliver a healthy number of course places each year, and aspire for growth in course places. Applicants who only identify the means to run very limited course places would not be seen as beneficial to Mountain Training Cymru’s future delivery plan, and would be unlikely to be accepted as a provider. The exception would be organisations who work solely within hard to reach groups, who without the provider approval would be unlikely to seek to attend a course with an alternative provider.

COURSE PROGRAMMES

The programme for all courses should be delivered over the minimum number of hours as set by the scheme handbook. Mountain Training Cymru has sample programmes for each scheme, however these are not prescriptive and are designed as a starting point for new providers to work from. Applicants should start to consider the programming of courses and during the induction workshop there will be an opportunity to review common course programmes.

COURSE LOCATIONS

MTC will review applications from Wales based applicants and from time to time consider those outside of Wales who intend to use venues in Wales for their course delivery. North Wales has a high number of active providers and MTC wish to see applications from around Wales, particularly in areas close to mass population.
http://www.mountain-training.org/cymru/resources-and-downloads

PROBATION PERIOD

If the application is successful, provisional approval is given to start running courses (following attendance at the induction event) for one year. MTC will moderate one of the first courses. If the officer is satisfied with the observation of the course and the course administration, full approval will be granted.

COURSE DIRECTORS AND COURSE TUTORS

In the case of qualifications we refer to the person responsible for delivering the course as the course director.

In the case of skills courses (Hill & Mountain Skills Scheme; Rock Skills Scheme) we refer to the person responsible for delivering the course as the course tutor.

Both roles follow similar procedures, however the qualifications has greater quality assurance requirements. Information on both roles and additional staffing can be found within the provider pages of the website.

SKILLS COURSES TUTORS - REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLYING

Hill & Mountain Skills

Required minimum qualification: Mountain Leader

Rock Skills: Introduction

Required minimum qualification: Rock Climbing Instructor

Rock Skills: Intermediate

Required minimum qualification: Rock Climbing Instructor and either FUNdamentals of Climbing 1 or Foundation Coach training or Level 1 coach (MTBI)

Rock Skills: Learning to Lead (sport and trad)

Required minimum qualification: Rock Climbing Development Instructor or Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and either FUNdamentals of Climbing 1 or Foundation Coach training or Level 1 Coach (MTBI)

SKILLS COURSE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Minimum of 20 quality sessions leadership experience post assessment in a variety of venues.
Have a genuine enthusiasm for hill walking or climbing (relative to scheme applying for)
‘Rock Skills Learning to Lead’ experience should include 20+ sport and trad teaching leading sessions.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

Be a member of a mountain association: MTA, AMI, BAIML or BMG.
Vast experience as a leader or instructor in a variety of locations (relative to scheme).
Vast personal experience mountain walking or climbing in a variety of UK and worldwide locations.
Completed Foundation Coach (climbing schemes).
Evidence of working on introductory courses or schemes.
Commitment to ongoing Continued Personal Development.

COURSE DIRECTORS FOR QUALIFICATION SCHEMES - REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLYING

Lowland Leader (including Expedition Skills Module)

Required minimum qualification: Mountain Leader

Hill and Moorland Leader (including Expedition Skills Module)

Required minimum qualification: Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor or International Mountain Leader

Mountain Leader

Required minimum qualification: Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and Winter Mountain Leader or International Mountain Leader and Winter Mountain Leader

Indoor Climbing Assistant

Required minimum qualification:Climbing Wall Development Instructor or Rock Climbing Development Instructor or Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor

Climbing Wall Instructor (including Abseil Module)

Required minimum qualification: Rock Climbing Development Instructor or Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor

Rock Climbing Instructor

Required minimum qualification: Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor

Climbing Wall Development Instructor

Required minimum qualification: Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor

QUALIFICATION COURSE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Have held the required qualification for at least 12 months. Climbing course directors are required to hold, or to be progressing towards Foundation Coach training or equivalent coach training in another discipline.
Have vast experience of operating with as an award holder of the qualification being applied for. Have a genuine enthusiasm for hill walking or climbing (relative to scheme applying for)
Have a minimum of 6 full courses of experience for the qualification being applied for with at least 2 different providers, within the last 5 year period.
In the case of Indoor Climbing Assistant applicants must have experience of 2 full Climbing Wall Instructor training courses.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

Be a member of a mountain association: MTA, AMI, BAIML or BMG.
Attended a Mountain Training 'Train the Trainers' workshop.
Attended a Mountain Training course director and staff update workshop.
Attendance on an approved Mountain Training assessor’s workshop.
Be a member of a mountaineering council.
Involvement in the delivery of in-house training relevant to the scheme.
Holding an award higher than the minimum required to work on the scheme.
Have experience working for a variety of appropriate organisations and with diverse groups.

ABOUT MOUNTAIN TRAINING CYMRU

The role of Mountain Training Cymru (MTC) is to provide skills training and qualification schemes for individuals, leaders, instructors and coaches of groups participating in mountaineering and related activities, to offer advice and promote good practice among the mountaineering community within Wales.

Mountain Training Cymru along with Mountain Training England (MTE), Mountain Training Scotland (MTS) and Mountain Training Board Ireland (MTBI) is a full member of Mountain Training UK.

Mountain Training Cymru is a registered company and has five voluntary company directors who make up the board. Additionally, Mountain Training Cymru has a members’ council which meets three times a year to help shape the strategic direction of the organisation and acts as a forum among the hill walking, climbing and mountaineering community in Wales with particular interest in leadership activities.

The members’ council includes the following as voting members:

Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres
Association of Mountaineering Instructors
British Association of International Mountain Leaders
British Mountaineering Council Cymru
British Mountain Guides
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Cymru
Girlguiding Cymru
North Wales Mountain Rescue Association
Plas y Brenin (Mountain Training Trust)
Outdoor Education Advisors Panel for Wales
Scouts Cymru
Ramblers Cymru

The following organisations hold an advisory/observer role within the members’ council:

Natural Resources Wales
Y Bartneriaeth Awyr Agored / The Outdoor Partnership
Mountain Training UK
Joint Services Mountain Training Centres
Institute of Outdoor Learning
British Mountaineering Council
Wales Activity Tourism Organisation/Adventure Smart UK

Executive Officer

Simon Patton is Mountain Training Cymru’s Executive Officer and oversees all aspects of Mountain Training Cymru. He works from Siabod Cottage on a part-time basis alongside Mountain Training UK, Mountain Training England and Mountain Training Association staff. Simon will be the main point of contact for all provider enquires and support.

Mountain Training

Mountain Training is the collective term used to describe all the national Mountain Training organisations to the public. Each national training organisation is responsible for managing skills and qualification schemes along with the course providers assigned to them. Collectively the boards all agreed to use the term Mountain Training when communicating with participants, candidates and the public as a way of enhancing the profile of our collective activities. Behind Mountain Training sit the separate organisations who work collaboratively together in ensuring consistency and harmonisation.

Generally, the procedures for providers are equal between each of the different national training organisations, however slight differences may be required to accommodate regional and organisational structures. Each independent organisation is still a crucial setup in obtaining Sports Council funding to support the development of Mountain Training activities.

Mountain Training Association

The Mountain Training Association is a membership organisation set up by Mountain Training UK in 2005 to support candidates working towards their qualifications. It is an optional membership association and is now well established with over 5500 members nationally.