SIS40621 Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership

The SIS40621 Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership provides professional training in an exciting array of challenging adventure activities. This course equips you for employment in the outdoor recreational area, tourism, and education sectors.

The skills learnt in this course enables outdoor enthusiasts to supervise and lead dependent participants in recreational activities, manage group participation, develop activity plans, work in remote areas and make high levels of judgements about logistical, technical, safety and emergency response issues.

A Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership is an excellent option if you are looking for a gap year, university entry, or want to kickstart your career as an outdoor instructor.

Avondale's Outdoor Leadership courses are practical, with most of the instruction taking place in the field, allowing students to travel and experience parts of Australia.

Outdoor Leadership graduates leave with skills that support a range of careers, including:

• The retail camping sector
• Sport and Recreation Centres - such as rock-climbing gyms
• Camping and outdoor recreation centres
• Wilderness adventure and camping tourism
• Outdoor Education as part of a teaching career
• Adventure therapy programs
• Youth at risk programs
• Vocational training
• Guiding and instructing

The leadership and personal skills taught in the course are diverse and graduates find them useful in any career they choose.

Education Pathways

A SIS40621 Certificate IV in Outdoor leadership can also be used as a steppingstone to further education. This could include:

• Possible university entrance into undergraduate courses
• A path into the SIS50421 Diploma of Outdoor Leadership

Avondale wants to ensure that you succeed in this qualification. You will need to provide evidence that you meet the entry requirements listed below. As this qualification is physically demanding and learning will take place in the outdoors, students need to demonstrate they have an interest in outdoor pursuits, are physically fit, and academically suited to the course.

Entry requirements for SIS40621 Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership are:

• Be aged 18 + years or
• Hold a minimum of a Higher School Certificate (HSC) or hold an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) at a level 3 or above or
• Have suitable language, literacy and numeracy skills* to perform workplace tasks such as measuring, weighing and comprehending written work instructions and
• Provide a completed activity log
• Able to commit to the course attendance requirements
• Be able to meet the physical requirements of activities included in the course
• Able to obtain a working with children check (for work placement)

*Students applying for this qualification are required to do a literacy, language and numeracy test during the enrolment process. An exit level 3 or 4 will be needed for Certificate IV entry.

Physical Requirements:

Students will be participating in trips that include hiking, camping and sleeping outdoors with limited assistance. Students should be able to carry their own pack, be comfortable with being away from home, able to camp in remote locations and be able to undertake physically demanding activities working in small groups.

All applicants are required to participate in a enrolment interview as part of the application process and will be asked to provide a completed medical record on offer of a place in the course.

Credit Transfer (CT):

If you have previously completed any of the units as listed in the course structure below at Avondale or with any other registered training organisation, you may request Credit Transfer for unit(s).

• Specified clusters (outdoors short courses) of units from SIS30619 Certificate III in Outdoor Leadership will gain CT into the SIS40621 Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership and may gain CT into the SIS50421 Diploma of Outdoor Leadership
• SIS4021 Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership will gain CT into the SIS50421 Diploma of Outdoor Leadership

Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)

Depending on your experience and previous work in Outdoor Recreation, you may request RPL. To support your RPL request you will be asked to demonstrate and provide evidence of learning related to the unit or units you are seeking RPL for.

For more information regarding CT or RPL, call +61 2 4980 2159, or email [email protected]

This qualification is taught for a total of 30 weeks with students required to attend theory and practical sessions. Students typically attend class 3 days a week with time outside of class to do self-study, assignments, and practice. Practical’s can be done during the week or over weekends and can be weather dependent. Changes can occur in the planned activities of the week to ensure student safety.

To successfully gain the SIS40621 Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership there are 27 units (12 core and 15 elective units) that students must successfully complete and demonstrate competency in.

Electives offered at Avondale include:

• Abseiling, natural surfaces, single pitch
• Bushwalking, difficult tracked environments, rivers
• Canoeing and kayaking inland flat waters
• Sea kayaking

Core Units
HLTWHS003	Maintain work health and safety
PUAOPE013	Operate communications systems and equipment
SISOFLD002	Minimise environmental impact
SISOPLN001	Finalise operation of outdoor recreation activities
SISOPLN002	Plan outdoor activity sessions
SISOPLN004	Identify hazards, assess and control risks for outdoor recreation activities
SISOPLN005	Interpret weather and environmental conditions for outdoor recreation activities
SISORSC001	Conduct search and rescue
SISXCAI006	Facilitate groups
SISXCCS003	Address client needs
SISXEMR002	Coordinate emergency responses
SISXFAC001	Maintain equipment for activities
Elective Units
SISOABS003	Abseil single pitches, natural surfaces
SISOABS006	Establish ropes for single pitch abseiling on natural surfaces
SISOABS009	Lead single pitch abseiling activities on natural surfaces
SISOFLD006	Navigate in tracked environments
SISORSC002	Perform vertical rescues
SISOBWG002	Bushwalk in difficult tracked environments
SISOBWG004	Cross rivers during bushwalks
SISOBWG006	Lead bushwalks in difficult tracked environments
SISOFLD007	Navigate in difficult tracked environments
SISOCNE002	Paddle a canoe on inland flatwater
SISOCNE005	Lead canoeing activities on inland flatwater
SISOKYK001	Paddle a kayak on inland flatwater
SISOKYK005	Lead kayaking activities on inland flatwater
SISOKYS001	Paddle a sea kayak in enclosed waters
SISOKYS004	Lead sea kayaking activities in enclosed waters

Equipment and additional costs

To ensure that students can successfully participate in all aspects of Outdoor Leadership studies - theory and practical, students must provide the following:

• Computer / laptop
• Suitable clothing for outdoor activity – hiking, bushwalking, climbing, abseiling, canoeing and kayaking
• Toiletries
• Sleeping bag (and pillow)
• Suitable footwear for hiking/bushwalking and water activities
• Sunscreen & sun hat
• Insect repellent
• Water bottle
• Food for offsite activities where these may be over night or consecutive days and nights away

Avondale provides equipment for specialised activities including personal flotation devices, canoes/ kayaks, helmets, harnesses, ropes, backpacks and tents.

Field Trips

Much of the instruction for outdoor leadership takes place in the field. Trips can range from excursions of a few hours, such as trips to local abseiling sites to extended expeditions such as trips in the high country of the Snowy Mountains. Avondale provides transportation for all field trips. Students will be required to provide their own transportation where they are not able to meet the planned departure and return times.

Simulations and/or Work Placements

Students will need to participate in practicals where they are required to plan programs, lead others in activities and evaluate. These practicals can be simulated or organised through work placement by the course convenor.

Where students are undertaking a work placement, there may be additional requirements the student will need to meet. These may include:

• Working With Children Check
• National Police Clearance
• Evidence of current immunisations

Students are responsible for meeting work placement requirements and any associated costs.

Avondale Policies

Avondale is committed to an environment of learning that supports the fullest possible human development. To support this Avondale provides an environment that is alcohol-free, tobacco-free and drug free on all campuses.

Avondale has a number of policies to support a positive learning experience and environment for all students studying at Avondale.

For further information see policies