Work with Neilson for 12 Yachtmasters

POSTED ON 10 Apr 2013 - POSTED BY Flying Fish

Now here’s an offer that’s hard to beat. A guaranteed job at the end of your course. That’s what leading tour operator Neilson Active Holidays is offering to 12 lucky Flying Fish graduates, subject to interview, on completion of their yachting training.

The Yachtmaster Pro/Cruising Instructor Internshipwith the guarantee of paid work on qualifying, is a one-year programme giving that lucky dozen the opportunity to train and qualify as a Yachtmaster and Cruising Instructor, pick up some practical work experience and be hired for the 2014 Mediterranean season at one of Neilson’s sailing centres in the Ionian in Greece and on Turkey’s Lycian coast. The jobs will be for yacht trainers, flotilla skippers and mates.

How does it work?First of all, candidates will be interviewed before their course starts at the end of July. They will train in Cowes in the UK and then Sydney, where they will go on to acquire valuable work experience through the internship, working alongside the sailing professionals at Flying Fish Australia. They will then work for the full 2014 Mediterranean season, starting in March, at one of Neilson Active Holidays sailing centres in Greece or Turkey.

Neilson Active Holidays, part of the Thomas Cook Group, is one of the world’s leading tour operators, with 37 years’ experience in sailing holidays.Clients on a private six-berth flotilla yacht holiday can take a five-day RYA Competent Crew course or RYA Day Skipper (non-tidal) course. The courses typically use a Benetreau 331 or 373 or a Dufour 325.

What will Neilson be looking for in the candidates they interview?

Andy Fairclough, Operations Director, Australia, for Flying Fish, says:“Generally speaking, there are no specific requirements, but they – and we at Fish – are looking for people who enjoy active work outdoors and have prior experience in water sports or outdoor sports. They should have strong communication and people skills, be reliable and flexible, and must have a positive ‘can do’ attitude and be a great team player.

“The interns can expect to spend one of their first weeks on the Flying Fish yachtsin the role of first mate/assistant instructor,” says Andy. “By the end of the week they will be ready for assessment as an RYA Cruising Instructor.

“With that certificate under your belt, you are technically ready to start running your own courses.But we will ask our trainees to undertake some supervised teaching practice first, getting used to customer service the Flying Fish way. This may be on a weekend Start Yachting course or in the classroom, assisting with shore-based theory courses. Courses on all dates include a five-day offshore trip, on which the intern will take the number two position alongside one of our experienced instructors.

“As they gain confidence and experience,we’ll give them responsibility for running their own training sessions, and will introduce them to the regular maintenance tasks needed to keep the Fish fleet flying.

“By the end of the internship every one of them should be a confident skipper and yacht instructor, with experience running their own RYA courses in the challenging environment of Sydney Harbour,” says Andy. “I say ‘they’, but I mean ‘you’ – because it could be you. But you must apply by the end of June. That’s the absolute deadline.

“We can't make an advance promise of future work with Flying Fishbut at the end of the programme everyone should be well placed to apply for our vacancies when they arise,” adds Andy.Flying Fish’s Yachtmaster Pro Traineeship leads to the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore and Master of Yachts 200gt certificate, which is required by commercial skippers entering the professional yachting industry.

Flying Fish
Flying Fish offer professional training and international adventure on the sea and the snow. They offer vocational qualifications in yachting, watersports and winter sports across the UK, Australia, Canada, Eygpt, Greece and New Zealand.

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