Private/Family Club: (low priority for government regulation)
Position: An instructor who works from home only and does not hire any external venue.
Potential Concern: This instructor may not be qualified to teach and could be a danger to the students. Inappropriate teaching methods may result in student injuries or death. These instructors generally do not or can not obtain insurance to cover students unless they have a purpose built training facility on their property.
Can the Instructor still operate in the future? Instructors have been teaching like this for decades and will so for many more decades undisturbed unless a student perhaps gets hurt lodges a lawsuit, then things might change. Or in the future there maybe a new law to prevent backyard operations unless they meet a certain criteria.
Obligations: All instructors/mentors have a duty of care to their students even in your backyard.
(1) Stay as you are but keep in the loop by being part of an industry group / association if you qualify but remember your duty to your students. Don't complain when you see commercial schools drawing lots of students.
(2) Look at ways to upgrade your skills and qualifications. Cross train with other instructors to keep your skills current and perhaps expand your knowledge. Enrol in the new nationally recognized qualifications. Find out how you can expand your student base by hiring venues and increase your revenue.
Semi Commercial Club (low-medium priority for government regulation) Position: An instructor who works out of a local hall or community centre hiring a venue.
Potential Concern: This instructor may not be qualified to teach and could be a danger to the students just like the home operator. Most venue hire places will not ask a person if they are a qualified teacher of the particular activity they are running. However they are becoming more and more diligent in making sure the operator has their own insurance. It is also getting harder for instructors to obtain insurance unless they can substantiate they have what is deemed as acceptable qualifications /certification.
Can the Instructor still operate in the future? Instructors have been teaching like this for decades and some schools have already been shut down through a number of reasons; relating to non compliance to insurance and not having the appropriate qualifications /certification.
Obligations: All instructors/mentors have a duty of care to their students especially in the public arena (hired venues), because there is much more chance of litigation.
(1) Stay as you are but keep in the loop by being part of an industry group / association if you qualify but remember your duty to your students. Don't complain when you see gyms and full time commercial schools drawing lots of members.
(2) Look at ways to upgrade your skills and qualifications. Cross train with other instructors to keep your skills current and perhaps expand your knowledge. Enrol in the new nationally recognized qualifications. Find out how you can expand your student base by offering government recognized programs.
Full Commercial Centre (medium-large priority for government regulation) Position: An instructor who works out of a full time centre who is either leasing or buying it.
Potential Concern: This instructor may not be qualified to teach and could be a danger to the students just like any other operator. However new workpcover laws (fines up to $250,000 and jail terms) for safety breaches may make an operator work more professionally.
Can the Instructor still operate in the future? Instructors have been teaching like this for decades and some schools have been shut down through a number of reasons; not meeting council or workplace safety requirements etc.
Obligations: All instructors/mentors have a duty of care and to adhere to workplace safety laws.
(1) Stay as you are but keep in the loop by being part of an industry group / association if you qualify but remember your duty to your students.
(2) Look at ways to upgrade your skills and qualifications. Cross train with other instructors to keep your skills current and perhaps expand your knowledge. Enrol in the new nationally recognized qualifications. Find out how you can expand your student base by offering government recognized programs.
