THE COURSE
Our Zero-to-Hero Program in The French Pyrenees is unparalleled in the industry and something we are very proud to offer. You will spend seven Weeks in the French Pyrenees training to become a ski instructor with the chance to achieve PSIE/C level 1 and 2 qualifications. Qualifications that unlock the door to a career all over the world.
You will start with an amazing 7 week journey in the French Pyrenees, being coached by some of the best in the business to gain the L1 and 2 qualifications you need to teach in the mountains. You won’t just learn how to become a ski instructor though, you’ll also enhance your interpersonal skills to become a better communicator. Once qualified, you will receive onward employment options for the remainder of the season. The perfect combination and perfect winter season.
If you’re looking for the best ski instructor course with onward employment, even with a UK passport, look no further! If you have any questions about this amazing course or any of our other opportunities here at SIA Austria, contact us today.
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What's Included
We pride ourselves on the fact that Ski Instructor Academy offers the very best value, fully comprehensive and quality filled programs on the market. We offer the best ski instructor course in the French Pyrenees and know that you’re going to love it!
T&C’s apply to Ameski Ski School Employment, incl. holding the right to work and suitability
We have secured onward employment options, even for UK passport holders. These various positions are to be discussed for the best for each trainee.
The Training
We have teamed up with Ameski Ski School for our Pyrenean training. An international collection of the highest qualified trainers and examiners with decades of experience in the industry training instructors and athletes… Legends of the slopes!
On this course you will train towards the PSIE/C Level 1 and PSIE/C Level 2 ski instructor qualifications. This program provides an unparalleled intensive course, you will be on snow 6 days a week, you will receive 150 hours of coaching and a total of 170 hours on snow TRAINING PLUS A FURTHER 10 DAYS OF PSIE COURSE AND EXAM.
Not just training you to teach skiing, but to be a great instructor. Also taking your own personal skiing to new levels. Both elements preparing you for your level 1 and 2 exams, but to also be the best ski instructor you possibly can be. Combined with understanding more about the mechanics of skiing and how our skis interact with the snow. Plus some awesome, off-hill extras such as sports science and equipment tuning.
Throughout the training, you’ll understand how to develop and assess skiers in multiple tactics and terrains. You’ll attend technical seminars, receive regular assessments on your skiing progress, and your qualified examiners and trainers will give you personalised video feedback so you can understand how you’re progressing.
The Accommodation
For our 7 week course in Peyragudes, you will be based from the very sociable, newly fully renovated Apart Hotel des Cols, with amazing location allowing you to get up into the mountains via a short supplied transfer of around 7 minutes, the resort is clearly visible from the hotel.
Each room is luxuriously finished in typical chalet style decor. Each room has its own kitchen and full size shower room. Rooms are shared between 2 and 4 people. There is an extra if you desire your own room. Onsite is a stylishly styled bar for optional breakfasts, evening meals and of course âpre ski and our group socials. There is also a conference room next to the bar dedicated for theory and video sessions. The building is covered with high speed wifi. There is a laundry service and a secure boot room.
The Activities
You’ll only have one day off a week with this intensive course, but we propose to fill any of your spare days and evenings with plenty of optional activities.
We will arrange optional weekly activities such as paragliding, snow biking, cross country skiing, snow shoeing and visiting the world famous Balnea Spa and thermal baths (will be a popular repeat on the schedule!)
For your optional evening excursions, we have mountain hike and fondue evening under the stars (or cloud,) snow cat return to mountain restaurant, ski tuning instruction evening, nighttime thermal baths under the stars, bowling, swimming and cinema (in English) are all already on the cards.
You can of course simply explore the surrounding area and take in the beautiful scenery, plus experience the culture of this area still possessing many of it’s traditional values and ways.
The Job
The full season program includes employment from Ameski Ski School in the resort of Peyragudes in the French Pyrenees as well as there being other employment possibilities in other locations that can be discussed individually. The competition is fierce so you need to make sure you meet all the requirements set by SIA and Ameski.
- It would be beneficial (but not essential) for Students to have previous experience working with children or adults in a coaching or teaching environment.
- Student must be at an good, intermediate ski level — able to link turns on red runs (3-4 weeks minimum alpine skiing experience)
- Must be passionate and motivated to work in a professional ski instructor environment.
- Must hold the right to work. **UK passport holders accepted however limited job opportunities so be quick!**
Step 1 – Complete your online booking form and pay your course deposit. This secures your place amongst other hopeful candidates.
We will review your details to make sure you meet all the requirements and we can get a feel for your goals for the season.
Step 2 – The official interview process begins with SIA, usually held in August — actual date TBA. The interview will be via Microsoft Teams / Zoom and the interview could consist of two rounds depending on demand for the positions and quality of candidates.
Step 3 – If successful you will receive an official acceptance email inviting you to join the program. If unsuccessful, you will be offered the options to transfer to an alternative internship or instructor program or a refund of your deposit / any money paid so far.
Step 4 – Winter begins!
*Suitable passport or visa required to work in Europe
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EXPERT KNOWLEDGE
During this course, you will be supported on an ongoing basis by our highly qualified and experienced training team from Ameski Ski School who collectively have been coaching in the Pyrenees and elsewhere around the world for decades!
Quality Service Assured
We will bend over backwards to make sure you have the very best time with us on and off the slopes. Our in-resort team will be on hand to ensure that you enjoy the best ski instructor course in the French Pyrenees! When it’s over, you’ll be counting down the days until your next SIA experience.
INTENSE TUITION
Your course will be packed full of training from start to finish with professional coaching each week. Intimate group sizes will allow you the personal attention you need to improve your skills and motivate you to push yourself further.
VERY AFFORDABLE
Here at Ski Instructor Academy we pride ourselves in both the quality and value of our many courses. We honestly believe that we offer the best ski instructor courses in the French Pyrenees, and other locations around the globe.
FAQs
You will earn your PSIE L1 and PSIE L2 Instructor Licences, these are internationally respected instructor qualifications which you can use to teach in most countries around the world.
You must be competent and have enough ski knowledge and time on snow so that you can ski a red piste run in parallel, with a hip width stance, demonstrating outside ski balance and little body rotation. If you don’t think you’re up to this level then you can still join, just get in touch to find out how.
This program is partnered with Ameski Ski School meaning successful applicants can look forward to working with an incredibly experienced group of instructors in the incredible French Pyrenees.
Of course, you need to be legally allowed to work, so a working holiday visa or suitable passport / right to work will be required wherever you wish to ply your new trade.
See our Essential Visa Guide for more info…
Those on this internship will have a few employment options depending on the passport you hold. There are a limited number of places available to work in Peyragudes resort with Ameski as interns for the season, but there will also be opportunities in Switzerland.
Ameski ski school have the unincorporated association in the UK called “Ameski.” This means that any UK passport holders working for Ameski ski school would be under this umbrella, employed in the UK and working with people who are also members of the association – ONLY working / teaching those who are members of that association. So you will be in essence employed in the UK but working for the UK Ameski association in the French Pyrenees, keeping everything 100% legal for UK passport holders teaching and operating in France.
During these strange times we want you to feel safe and secure when it comes to your course fees and your booking.
Our Covid Confident Money Back Guarantee gives you complete peace of mind and flexibility when it comes to your booking with us.
This means that if your course is cancelled by SIA prior to your arrival date, for whatever reason, you can choose one of the following options:
- Switch your instructor course free of charge to a later date or destination
- Receive a full refund of your fees
Our guarantee applies to all travellers whether you have already booked your instructor course, or are considering booking. Meaning, you can book with confidence and look forward to an amazing season with SIA.
Read more about the Covid Confident Money Back Guarantee here…
2021/22 was the first season post-Brexit and added some red tape to what would historically have been a normal season for students from the UK. To work anywhere in the world now, incl. Europe, Brits will need a visa or permit to work. The Authorities here in Austria have said that they plan to have a ‘seasonnaire permit’ in place at some point in the future to allow workers short-term access to the employment market during the winter season.
Whilst this is potentially great news, there has still – 3 years on – been no further news on this ‘seasonaire permit’ and so it will be highly unlikely that anything will be in place anytime soon, which does still leaves uncertainty on what will be required from UK nationals working in Austria in the future.
As of yet there is still no further news or update on the Austrian ‘seasonnaire permit’ or any other pathway to enable Brits to work in Austria or any other EU country via any independently accessible work visa or any alternative method. (latest update: 1st February 2023)
You must be a minimum of 16 years old before you arrive into resort on our Austrian Courses.
You must be a minimum of 18 years old before you arrive in resort for our Canadian or Argentinian Courses (unless parental consent is obtained).
You must be a minimum of 18 years old to join any of our courses or internships which rely on a working holiday visa or work permit.
Although SIA courses are amongst the largest in the World, we generally manage to maintain very intimate training groups of between 4:1 and 8:1, but with absolutely no more than 10:1 students per trainer in Austria, Argentina, Canada, France and NZ. This allows us to match similar ability levels per group and means no student should ever feel as if they are falling behind, or being held back because of the group they are in.
We have various options for accommodation on our courses, all of which are very comfortable. We use a combination of shared apartments, houses and chalets. There are options to to include a single room, half board meals or both! (subject to availability and supplement). See our Accommodation page for more details on your options.
YES! As an employed instructor, ski schools will offer you subsidised staff housing as part of your employment contract. This is generally basic living, but a fun and very social environment with your fellow instructors and not to mention a very cheap way of living in a ski resort, with most ski schools only charging between €4 and €10 per day.
Note: If your course does not include a Job Guarantee or you do not wish to take up your position then accommodation will only be included during your course dates.
Sure! We love it when friends come together and share this amazing experience – after all sharing is caring! We can make sure you live together and also work in the same ski school together too so you can enjoy the time and make memories forever… just be sure to let us know who you’re travelling with.
We are so confident that we offer the very best value courses in the industry that we have our SIA Price Promise. We pride ourselves that we offer more training, higher quality coaching, better off-hill programs and more fun aprés events than any other course.
That’s why if you find a better value comparable course anywhere, not only will we match the course cost, but we will also give you an additional €100 off your course fees for good measure!
Get in touch to find out more about our Price Promise.
Yes! Once you have booked and paid your deposit then you will have the ability to pay off your course how you see fit as long as our minimum criteria has been met (see T&C’s). You can decide how much and how often you pay to suit your circumstances as long as your course fees are paid in full prior to your course. We do not add any interest charges for payment plans.
As much as we love dogs at SIA the simple answer is no.
Dogs are not allowed within SIA Accommodation. Ski Schools also ban pets from their accommodation.
No problem, you can check out our full FAQ’s here for answers on equipment, training, qualifications, jobs, payments and more.
If you’re still not sure, then Contact Us and we can answer your specific questions for you.