TrekCo Trainee Scheme

At TrekCo we have been training staff for twenty years; our formal Trainee Instructor course started in 2004 and since then we have been offering this excellent Trainee Outdoor Instructor course every year. Our courses are demanding and challenging – your aim is to become an outdoor instructor and we aim to kit you out with all the skills you need to achieve that.

The TrekCo Trainee Course runs from mid-April until early August – ending with two weeks in the French Alps. Usually trainees are invited back to continue working for TrekCo as Instructors in September for the autumn, and then the following year.

Our Trainees over the years have gone on to become instructors and senior instructors at other centres, and we’re constantly being told that their time at TrekCo was the best they’ve had. The variety of training and work, the great friendly atmosphere and the professional level of training are unmatched.

Joining the Course

To join the TrekCo Trainee Course you need to have some outdoor experience. Many trainees have been to a college and are doing an outdoor qualification; however we do also take independent candidates.

You will be asked to attend a selection day in Sussex in December/January, where we will introduce you to the company and you can take part in some outdoor activities. This is not a test of technical ability; we are more interested in your personality and how you get along with others than your skill level.

This is not a fee paying course – we pay a weekly wage to Trainees. More details can be found on the Course Information page.

Applications

To apply for the scheme, please email the office at: info@trekco.com

We accept applications up until the selection day, so apply in the autumn ideally.

The Trainers

The people training you are highly qualified and experienced in their fields. Holders of National Governing Body Awards at high levels themselves, they bring a wealth of experience to the field.

Andy Camis used to run a college course in Outdoor Activities and is the ideal person to be fronting this course. Andy holds the RCI and ML and is a Level 2 Kayak Coach. Andy co-ordinates the day to day running of the activities and takes much of the training.

Steve Ranger runs TrekCo overall; he holds the MCI and IML and has a Masters Degree in Education. A former teacher, he helps Andy to develop the educational side and the structure of the course as well as delivering some of the climbing and mountain based training.

Des Barlow holds the MCI and is a Level 4 BCU Coach. Des has a wealth of experience and provides several aspects of the training on this course.

Barry Donovan MCI runs some of the training and assessment of activities for us in Sussex for the Training Courses.

Mark Smith MCI and Level 3 Coach works with us primarily when we are working in the Peak District.

These are assisted by other members of staff who hold RCI, ML, BCU Coach Awards and other relevant qualifications.

We intend our courses to be the best in the business, and the input from such experienced instructors is vital. If you want to achieve your goal of becoming an outdoor instructor then you need training from people of the highest calibre!