Summer Season Courses
You can combine working with gaining a qualification, coaching certificate or simply learn more about your chosen field or sport. Outdoor sports companies offer the chance to 'earn while you learn' and get paid while you also complete an outdoor sports competency award. Some outdoor training organisations such as Flying Fish will train you, then help find you work. Horizon Watersports offer FREE watersports instructor training for disadvantaged 18 - 24 year olds and SUBSIDISED instructor courses for all over 18's. Another great way to get that bit more out of your time away is to get work as a TEFL school assistant and work towards a teaching certificate while you do it (see the TEFL section for more info). There are also many sports academies for sports such as football and tennis that offer summer long courses and training camp places. As part of a gap year you might want to volunteer (contribution normally required) and train in sub aqua or gain practical experience in your chosen field.
Companies such as PGL (Europe and UK) and Kingswood (UK) operate short to medium
length courses in outdoor sports which their staff are permitted to take part in
free of charge. The courses are designed for people who want to qualify and work
in adventure sports instruction, or enhance their ability through technical instruction.
As you’d expect, teaching English is a wildly popular option for gap students. So
certificates are now requisite for most positions – in fact, you don’t really want
to work in a school where they’re not. Don’t despair: you can obtain a TEFL certificate
in a month, so it shouldn’t hold up your plans for too long.
Sports fans can get on courses and placements in their chosen sport for an active
gap year. Watersports (BCU training, surfing, diving, sailing etc); Mountain sports
(Climbing, MLTB training and cycling); Winter sports (Snowboarding, skiing); And
Traditional sports (Football, cricket, rugby etc).