Before you join this ski instructor course, you need to have a minimum of 4 weeks ski experience under your belt. You should be comfortable skiing red runs and skiing parallel at a reasonable speed. By the end of the season, you’ll be able to call yourself an experienced instructor!

If you are looking to book onto the 4 week March course, you need a minimum of 20 weeks ski experience as this course moves at a faster pace to get you to the required level for the Anwarter examination.

We have a limited number of places available for people looking to take part in a snowboard course in Austria. Please contact us to discuss this.

You will be living in the Alpine region of Western Austria, which features longer, colder winters with more snow. Temperatures vary greatly at altitude so it’s always best to pack several clothing layers.

The winter temperature averages 3oC in the village during the winter.

These courses have a pass rate of over 96%. If you are turning up on time, dedicated to the course each day, not hungover and looking to improve, you should have no issues with passing the exam.

If you are not feeling ready for an examination, try it anyway and see it as a learning experience, you’ve already paid for it!

Retakes can be arranged if you fail an assessment. Retakes can usually be arranged with just a few days’ notice.

Should you need to stay a few extra days on the course to retake, you will need to pay for extra accommodation, exam and potentially training. This wouldn’t be too expensive, possibly a couple of hundred dollars.

We offer 4, 5 or 6 week ski instructor courses in Kaprun. All options will provide the training and exams to get you through the Anwarter Level 1 and 2. On the January and March courses you will be trained 6 days a week on the mountain. With the 6 week course, the training takes place 5 days per week, giving a little more time for rest and recuperation.

The 6 week course takes place in November each year, and the 4 week course starts in March.

By joining the November course, you will be able to transfer to your employer, and start working, earlier in the season.

A job offer is guaranteed to people who pass the course and can legally work in Austria. Expect to work the whole season (if you do our November course) or peak season (on our January course). The job offer can also be deferred a season if you want.

Austria has a huge number of top ski resorts, so you can be sure you are going to be working for a great Austrian ski school once you finish your course.

All the employers and ski schools we work with have been checked out and have worked with course participants in recent years. A lot of our instructors that teach on our courses also work for these ski schools around the country.

Your job will be arranged either before you head to Austria or during the first three weeks of the course. We take care to make sure you will be employed in a place where you will fit in.

Expect to go through the ski schools’ own recruitment process. This can vary depending on the employer, but you should expect to provide a CV, complete some paperwork and possibly have a Skype interview.

Bear in mind that work is not guaranteed for the whole season. There will be peaks and troughs to working in any ski school. This is largely dependent on guest numbers and snow conditions. You can expect to work during the peak times of Christmas, New Year, Feb half term and Easter holidays.

We can’t answer this question with any certainty as each employer is different and it will depend hugely on how busy the resort is and when the season will be ending.

The exact wage is determined by your ski school however all resorts respect a Uniform Collective Contract which secures the rights of ski instructors around minimum wage, holidays and working hours.

You can expect to earn an average of 1000 euro per month. Out of this, you may have a deduction for accommodation of roughly 200 euro.

Most ski schools will provide staff with a free ski pass and uniform, others may ask you to pay a small fraction towards the cost of the pass or pay a refundable deposit for your uniform.

Your pay and precise terms and conditions will be confirmed with your job contract, which you can expect by around week three of the instructor course.

The UK left the EU on the 31st January 2020. We have now entered a transition period which means that all rights of EU citizens remain until the end of 2020.

As with the rest of the seasonal work industry (and the country generally) nobody really knows what the position will be at the end of 2020.

The suspicion is that things will have to remain the same for this season, come what may, because these resorts rely on staff coming over from the UK to fill roles over the winter. Even with a ‘no deal’ outcome, there may still be areas where the UK and EU can agree for short-term consistency.

The job guarantee is open to anyone who can legally work in Austria. We don’t know how the legal status will change at the end of the transition period. If a future relationship with the EU can be agreed, seasonal work may be something that can continue without change in 2021 and beyond. We just don’t know.

If there was no deal agreed by the end of the transition period, and there was an immediate hard line response meaning that no new people could work in Europe, it may be that Brits have to apply for a work visa. In this case, our 2020/21 participants would have a short amount of time to get a visa whilst on the course before they are ready to work. Our partners in Austria have been informed by the Austrian government that emergency visas are ready to go so a fast track system should also be in place.

As we won’t know exactly when your job will finish before you arrive, we suggest that you just book your outbound flight to Salzburg and book your return when you know the season is coming to an end. Some resorts can stay open well into the summer months, whereas other will close during the spring.

You will have access to a deal in Kaprun that means, for 780 euros, you can buy a package that includes premium quality skis, bindings, boots, poles and helmet.

Should you wish to drive to Kaprun for the course, there is plenty of parking available at the resort. Please note that you should make sure your car meets the winter driving requirements in Austria – winter tyres are mandatory!

We can’t guarantee that there will be parking available where you work though.

If you are in the self-catered accommodation, you should budget for around 30-40 euro per day for food. Your social life and buying equipment would be in addition to this.

On the self-catered programme, you will have access to a fully equipped kitchen meaning you can cook for yourself at home. Alternatively, there are loads of restaurants to choose from catering to a range of tastes.

On the half-board option, you will receive breakfast and dinner cooked in your apartment. Expect a continental style breakfast and hearty western meals for dinner. We can cater for dietary requirements.

There is free WiFi in your accommodation. WiFi is also available throughout the village.

Mobile reception is good throughout the resort. If you are coming from another EU Member State, you’ll be able to use your SIM card and the same allowances you would use at home.

Expect to pay around 4-5 euro for a beer in the village.

There is lots of choice when it comes to eating out in Kaprun and Zell am See and they claim to have over 100 restaurants to choose from.

A pizza and a beer costs around 10 euro and a decent burger and beer nearer 15 euro.

Austria is 1 hour ahead of GMT (GMT +1)

You will need a European adapter.

During the course you will get most weekends to yourself. There’s lots to do when you are not in training. You are free to ski on your days off or get involved in some of the many activities that are available in the resort.

Supervision will be fairly intensive during the 5 or 6 week course. During each training session you will be coached by an experienced instructor.

Staff at Oyster’s head office and in-country will be responsible for your safety and welfare while you are on the course. This will start from the moment you are picked up from the airport until the time you finish the course. Before and after these times, you will be outside Oyster’s responsibility and should make sure that you act safely and avoid risk. This is also true when you start your guaranteed job in Austria when you will be formally outside of Oyster’s care. If you need any assistance we, and our partners, will try to assist as much as possible. However, your main point of contact would be with your employers at your ski school.

Unfortunately at this stage, and due to Brexit regulations, UK citizens are unable to obtain work permits for Austria and other EU countries. As a result,  we will not be able to offer our paid work and ski course option to British passport holders. Although we are hopeful that the situation will change soon, for now we are excited to announce the development of a unique 11-week instructor programme. This is designed specifically for British passport holders and will offer the same experience level and qualifications as participants are authorised to stay in Austria for up to 90 consecutive days. Please note that if you carry another EU passport, and to all those who from participating countries, paid work remains 100% available!

THE DETAILS:

Programme: 11 week ski instructors course

Date: 30^th Oct 2021 or 15^th Jan 2022

Price: £7375

Location: Kaprun – Zell Am See, Austria

Qualifications Obtained: Equivalent of British Lv1, Lv2 and part of Lv 3.

 What’s included:

• Return airport transfers (Salzburg)
• Full accommodation for 11 weeks
• Free daily breakfast
• Free evening meals 5 days a week
• Super Salzburg ski pass ( including 400+km of slope)
• Practical training from highly qualified instructors
• HD video movement analysis
• Avalanche safety module
• Introduction to ski touring module
• Sports science/biomechanics module

Please email [email protected] if you have any further questions, or head to our BOOK NOW page to start the application process.

How much can a ski instructor expect to earn?

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