The outdoor sector in New Zealand has taken major step closer towards collaboration in the areas of national standards, qualifications and assessment; and thus towards providing clear training pathways for those who lead and instruct in the sector.
The tri-partite Memorandum of Understanding between NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC), Skills Active Aotearoa Industry Training Organisation and NZ Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA) cements gains of recent years towards a single national standard.
The announcement of an MOU is especially relevant given the Prime Minister's recent call for a review of risk management and practices in the Commercial and Adventure Tourism industry.
A specific project detailed in the MOU is the establishment of a national outdoor qualification registrations scheme. Importantly, this scheme will provide a central point for organisations to register people who hold their outdoor qualifications and who have successfully passed appropriate revalidation criteria.
The scheme recognises the need for achievement in training towards national outdoor qualifications but also is a means to provide proof of an individual's current competence through meaningful revalidation processes that are recognised by parties to the scheme.
One positive impact of the MOU and registration scheme is a reduction in the duplication of qualifications, and consequently clearer training pathways and increased accessibility and portability of nationally recognised and relevant qualifications.
"It seemed costly and confusing that NZOIA, MSC and Skills Active had three separate qualifications systems in such are small sector space" commented Andrew Gunn, Skills Active Executive Director.
One thing all parties to the MOU are mindful of is the potential damage maverick operators in the outdoors can wreak; with consequent injury, loss of life and harm to the reputation of this country. The stated purpose of the MOU is to ensure a highly skilled and capable sector that provides the highest quality outdoor experiences in the safest possible way, both for visitors and the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
