UWTSD students gain valuable industry experience through Professional Development Programme
Outdoor Adventure Education students at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) have strengthened their skills, confidence and employability through a Professional Development Programme designed in response to the needs of the outdoor adventure industry.
The OAE Professional Development Programme offered students an annual selection of five-day professional development courses, providing opportunities to develop practical skills and work towards National Governing Body (NGB) awards and assessments alongside their academic studies.
One of the courses delivered as part of the programme was a five-day coasteering training week, including two days of National Coasteering Charter (NCC) training.
Coasteering is a growing outdoor activity which takes place along coastlines across the UK and increasingly around the world. Combining coastal exploration with challenges such as swimming, scrambling, climbing and jumping, it provides opportunities for participants to develop technical, decision-making and leadership skills in a dynamic natural environment.
Throughout the week, students met each morning at Cynefin to analyse forecasts and collaboratively select suitable venues for the day. The group explored a range of locations across South and West Wales, Rhosili, Stackpole, St Non’s, Aberiddy, and Abercastle.
The experience gave students the opportunity to develop their practical coasteering skills while working alongside students from different years of the course.
BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education student Tom Lake said:
“The NCC training week gave me an opportunity to bond with members from other years on my course and my new flatmates. This training will greatly improve my employability, allowing me to prove my competency to future employers.”
For fellow student Lucas Seers, the training provided an opportunity to develop his confidence and competence as a potential coasteering leader.
“The one-week coasteering course was very beneficial for my student experience. By completing this training, it taught me how to lead a coasteering session and gave me initial experience required to be able to take a group out safely and professionally.
“Before this course I was confident to coasteer by myself or be led by another guide because of university lectures, but this course has given me more confidence and competence to lead a session myself.
“This past week has definitely improved my future employability because it is a recognised universal course and by putting it on my CV it tells employers that I have some competency in the water.”
Student Ellen Jenkins also highlighted the value of gaining additional practical experience.
“It has benefited my student experience by giving me extra experience with a different perspective. It has helped me to improve my future employability by meaning that I have the training to be able to do my coasteering assessment to be able to become a coasteering leader or even just an assistant leader with the training that I have now done.”
The programme itself was developed following consultation with industry employers to identify the NGB awards and professional development opportunities they value when recruiting staff.
Tom Moore, Senior Technician and Tutor for the BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education course, said:
“We are very excited to be able to offer our returning students the opportunity to take part in this Professional Development Programme.
“This programme aims to enhance the students’ experience of life at UWTSD by giving them experiences that further their knowledge and understanding of their fields of study, while also enhancing their employability both over the summer breaks and into their professional lives after graduating.
“Through interviewing local industry employers, we have been able to create and tailor this programme to their demands, creating direct pathways to employment for our students.
“We had a great rate of participation, with over 60% of the Outdoor Adventure Education cohort taking advantage of this programme, and already have students receiving offers to interview for jobs for next summer as a result.”
Further Information
Lowri Thomas
Principal Communications and PR Officer
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: lowri.thomas@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07449 998476