Outdoor Activity Instructor Apprenticeship (Level 3)

COBNOR ACTIVITIES CENTRE TRUST

West Sussex (PO18 8TE)

Closes on Tuesday 30 September 2025

Posted on 26 August 2025

Print

Contents

Summary

At Cobnor Activities Centre, you’ll spend your days developing the skills to deliver sessions such as sailing, kayaking, climbing, and more. You’ll work with children, young people, and adults from all backgrounds, gaining hands-on experience in teaching, coaching, and leadership. No two days are ever the same in this role.

Wage

£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

After 12 months, wage goes to National Minimum Wage. Overtime paid.

Training course
Outdoor activity instructor (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Friday (some weekends) 08:30 - 17:00. Breaks are 45 minutes and are paid.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 3 November 2025

Duration

1 year 1 month

Positions available

4

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

  • Being surrounded by a youthful, and fun team helping make your work life as fun and enjoyable as can be
  • Learn and develop skills to gain recognised qualifications
  • Deliver top sessions to people from all backgrounds and insipre them to spend more time in the great outdoors

Where you'll work

Cobnor Activities Centre Trust
Chidham
West Sussex
PO18 8TE

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

LOCOMOTIVATION LTD.

Training course

Outdoor activity instructor (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Find information on: the activity type and timings; outcome requirements; participant age; medical information; equipment and resourcing allocation; venue; weather conditions.
  • Prepare sessions to achieve the required outcomesg. enjoyment, thrill seeking, personal or team challenges, acquisition of new knowledge or skills.
  • Select methods to meet all participant needs g. visual impairment, mental and physical ability.
  • Select methods to respond to potential changes in the environmentg. wind increasing in a sailing session or rain making conditions slippery underfoot.
  • Collect appropriate equipment and resources.
  • Ensure the venue is set-up and ready to be used.
  • Maintain self and group safety when delivering the session.
  • Deliver an effective session briefing with clear instruction and following organisational procedures.
  • Perform a competent demonstration of the skills required for the activity or subject at the appropriate level for the session.
  • Provide on-going instruction to encourage learning and progression.
  • Follow organisational operating procedures to adapt to changes in the environment. E.g. thunderstorm, a wind shift to offshore in a surfing session.
  • Select and implement organisational procedures to deal with routine problems.g. broken equipment.
  • Provide basic First Aid to respond to accidents in a safe, prompt and effective manner. e.g. injured participant.
  • Initiate organisational procedures to summon support in the case of incidents or accidents.
  • Use the organisations set approaches for learning delivery.
  • Support individual and group engagement and participation in the session g. energisers, sharing responsibilities, appropriate pace.
  • Change the pace of the session to match participants’ speed of learning.
  • Identify and support the individual participants’ needs g. give personal attention, active listening, allow additional time, encouragement.
  • Apply simple techniques to deal with conflict and challenging behaviour g. redirection, increasing responsibility.
  • Use simple review techniques to check the achievement of required outcomes e.g. thumbs up; rounds; memorable moments.
  • Signpost participants to progression routes.
  • Complete a session within time, including the restoration of the venue, return of equipment and resources and any logging or recording requirements.
  • Use participant feedback and own reflection to suggest improvements to sessions.
  • Communicate with customers and colleagues in a clear, concise and effective manner.
  • Handle information in a way that conforms to policy and protects data.
  • Assist with the development and preparation of resources and support colleagues delivering sessions
  • Actively encourage whole group participation and promote equality and diversity.
  • Undertake activities to further develop knowledge and personal skills.
  • Reflect on own performance and make refinements.

Training schedule

Most training courses run at our centre, however we do book apprentices on to external courses if needed. Apprentices can expect to get a mix of nationally recognised qualifications and in-house sign offs.

Some of these may be:

  • Sailing - RYA Keelboat Instructor and RYA Dinghy Instructor
  • Paddling - PaddleUK Awards (kayak, canoe, paddleboarding)
  • Powerboating - RYA Powerboat Level 2 and RYA Safety boat
  • First Aid - Level 3 Outdoor First Aid
  • In house training - Tree Climbing, High Ropes, Rafting, Low ropes, Archery, Pioneering, and many more
  • Most part of the training will take place from November - March, however we always look to push and develop our staff so expect training to occur throughout the length of the course

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Patience

About this employer

At Cobnor Activities Centre Trust, our mission is to help and educate young people across West Sussex and surrounding areas. Through outdoor and residential activities, we aim to foster their physical, mental, and emotional development, helping them grow into confident, capable, and well-rounded individuals. We offer a diverse range of outdoor activities, RYA sailing courses, RYA powerboating courses and First Aid courses. We take pride in delivering top-notch experiences aimed at enriching lives, particularly focusing on empowering young individuals with essential life skills, both on and off the water

http://www.cobnor.com (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • When you finish, you may have the chance to stay on as a seasonal instructor
  • This gives you the chance to gain even more practical experience straight after the programme ends
  • Even further prospects may lead to becoming a lead instructor. Lots of previous staff have taken their qualifications abroad

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

LOCOMOTIVATION LTD.

Owen@cobnor.com

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000338753.

Apply now

Closes on Tuesday 30 September 2025

Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.