Message 1
28th September 2022
Training & Education Information
The Training & Education section of the website has been developed so that members can access the latest information on training and can also access training materials either for reference purposes or to complete a ‘Self Study’ course. Thanks to Joe Murray, as always, for doing the development work on the website.
What will you see on the website?
When you log onto the website as a member, the main menu contains a ‘training & education’ tab
Clicking on the ‘training & education’ tab opens the ‘training info’ tab with three training options
Training & Education Information
This page contains the latest information on Training and Education within the Club. The information is entered by the Training Officer on an ongoing basis. Here you will find information on the types of training available to members, the courses that are currently available, information about each course and how to go about applying to attend the course.
Courses Available
This page contains a list of the Courses that are currently available within the Club. It will include internal courses where club members are the trainers, external courses where external trainers are used and self-study courses where all the materials are available on the website for members to study themselves.
Clicking on any of the courses brings you to the course content or further information on the course.
Courses Done
This page contains the full list of members and the courses they have started and completed; the Training Officer will input this information.
We suggest you check out the ‘courses available’ page and have a look at the material that is currently available. If you are interested in attending any of the courses or would like further information, please contact the Training Officer, Alan Kane at alanfkane@gmail.com or on 0851083829.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Message 2
28th September 2022
Training Available to Members
We are currently focused on three types of training
- Map Reading & Navigation
- Leadership Training
- First Aid Training
Map Reading & Navigation
Our focus here is to be able to offer a number of different options so that there is something to suit all members regardless of their current knowledge/experience or the amount of time they have available
Option 1: Self-Study
This consists of five modules and covers pretty much all aspects of Map Reading & Navigation that you are likely to need. Each of the modules are covered in considerable detail. This option will suit members who have time available and are keen to become competent and self-reliant in terms of navigation on the hills. All the information is here, if you enjoy the self-study approach and you have time available then this is for you.
This material can also be used for reference purposes or by a member who wishes to refresh on a particular topic eg Route Card preparation or using Outdoor Active to create a route. In this case the member doesn’t need to complete the self-study course just consult the module they are interested in.
Option 2: External Courses
There are two courses available Mountain Skills 1 (MS1) and Mountain Skills 2 (MS2). These courses are two-day courses and are run throughout the year on weekends. The course syllabus is set by Mountaineering Ireland and is delivered by trainers who are accredited by Mountaineering Ireland. Full information on the two courses and a calendar of when the courses are scheduled together with the trainers details are available on the Mountaineering Ireland website. The cost of attending either MS1 or MS2 is €140 or €150 for the two-day course, Trekkers will subsidise members wishing to do the course at 50%.
This option will suit members who are working or do not have time for the self-study approach, it is very attractive to be able to get a course done on a single weekend. Important to mention that completing the course is just the start of the learning. Becoming competent requires commitment and lots of practice.
Option 3: Internal Courses
We plan to run two levels of internal course, Map Reading & Navigation Simple Beginner's Guide and Map Reading & Navigation Advanced.
Map Reading & Navigation Simple Beginner's Guide: This course will be targeted at members with no prior experience of the topic who are interested in getting a basic understanding of the concepts and the terminology. It will be a two-day course consisting of classroom sessions and practical sessions outdoors putting the techniques into practice. The course will be delivered by experienced members of the club. The materials for this course still need to be prepared. It is planned to run it for the first time in February 2023.
Map Reading & Navigation Advanced: This course will be targeted at members who are keen to become competent and self-reliant in terms of navigation on the hills. Members wishing to attend this course must have completed the Self-Study course or have completed MS1 and MS2. It will be a two-day course revisiting the main concepts contained in the self-study modules and putting them into practice out on the hills. The course will be delivered by experienced members of the club. It is planned to run it for the first time in April 2023.
Leadership Training
This is an internal one-day course run by Mary Murphy, John Casey and Farannán Tannam. It covers what is involved in leading walks in the club and what to do when presented with challenging situations. It does not cover Map Reading & Navigation. The course is a mixture of classroom and practical sessions out on the hills. It is primarily targeted at members who have not lead walks or who are very new to leading walks. The course has been run very successfully three times during 2022, it will be repeated in 2023, dates to be agreed.
First Aid Training
This course is currently delivered by an external trainer who specialises in delivering courses to outdoor clubs such as our own, her focus is on dealing with the type of scenarios that one can encounter out on the hills. It consists of two half day sessions. The theory session is delivered using zoom from 18.00 to 21.00 and the practical session is delivered a few days later in a local hall. The cost of the trainer is subsidised 50% by the club resulting in members paying €25 to attend the course. We have run this course three times since September 2021, training ten members each time. Dates for the courses in 2023 have still to be agreed.
First Aid Refresher
We introduced the idea of an in-house refresher course in August this year run by Anne Hayes and Alan Kane. It is a half day session run in a local hall from 14.00 to 17.00. The refresher course is targeted at those who completed the full course with the external trainer and focuses on being familiar with the different components in the First Aid Kit and how and when to use them. Further refresher sessions will be run in 2023, dates to be agreed.
__________________________________________________________________________________