The Northern Hemisphere season is starting to wind down now and the resorts down south are starting preparations for another bumper winter. Some exciting new offers out there are allowing more skiers and snowboarders to make their way to the resorts and there are some other interesting new snow trends emerging! Improved seasonal pay rates for instructors, climate changes providing longer winter seasons, as well as increased demand for snow sport lessons, resulting in larger snow sport schools, are all exciting trends for anyone considering the transition to a snow sport career.
Global Season Passes providing increased numbers
At the annual National Ski Areas Association conference, in January the impressive gains in skier days were evident across the board and many are accrediting this increase to the development of major multi mountain passes. The Epic Pass by Vail Resorts and Mountain Collective collaboration between some of the biggest resorts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA are making more resorts available to more people, coupled with significant early bird discounts and special offers, learning to ski or snowboard is now more accessible than ever. This increase has allowed instructors to get more hours on snow and training and work providers such as EA Ski and Snowboard Training to place more instructors into exciting new positions around the world.
Working holiday visas
This applies to Canada and means more people from the UK have the opportunity to apply and be considered for a visa which allows them to work while abroad. The changes in the Canadian working holiday system means you don’t need to refresh your browser every 2 minutes and is no longer as challenging as buying your Glastonbury tickets. The increase in visas available and the improvements in the application process are very encouraging, particularly for those interested in working as a ski or snowboard instructor in Canada.
Season dates and duration
According to national weather and climate website www.weather-climate.org.uk, the longer winter seasons and more consistent snow falls have meant longer working season for ski and snowboard instructors and other seasonal employees. While the increase is slight, particularly in in areas such as New Zealand and Japan, even an additional two weeks work for a ski or snowboard instructor can make a lot of difference to the old bank balance when jetting off to the next seasonal location. The extension of the season outside the typical dates also means resorts are trying everything they can to get people out there in the first or final weeks of winter, so a lot of lift and lesson packages which are ‘too good to miss’ are encouraging more people to ski or snowboard, and providing instructors with more work.
Seasonal worker pay rates
EA Ski and Snowboard instructor rates depend largely on the course and country and are advised by the resorts. The improvement of pay rates for seasonal workers across the board are largely due to the national minimum wage increases imposed by each country however all of this is GREAT news for ski and snowboard instructors. As base rates increase so too do the bonus and benefit structures offered, so instructors who are able to maintain great relationships with their clients and get return business or private lessons will be in a better position than ever before.
If becoming a ski or snowboard instructor is something that interests you, download your free instructor starter kit and find out how to access full training and a GUARANTEED JOB OFFER.
