RYA survey

C2 RIBS · 21 January 2013, 14:39

I like many instructors I guess will have seen the latest e mails for an RYA survey connected to instructing. Since the RYA have received quite a few comments recently on other posts I thought I would share one of their questions

Q-What was your motivation behind becoming an instructor? Please tick all options that apply to you.
To undertake voluntary work
To undertake paid work
To give something back to the sport
The share my knowledge
It was necessary for my employment
It looks good on my CV

Other (please specify)

I found the suggestion of these areas shall I say "interesting" as most instructors I guess are doing this to earn a living/money and love the opportunity to be involved in training new boat users. Perhaps I am being too scynical?

biffer · 21 January 2013, 15:07

Ummmmm

IanH · 21 January 2013, 15:17

Was that aimed at just power boat instructors or all instructors?

My sailing instructor days are long gone, but like many of my peers, did it for the love of the water rather than any financial gain. I think I just about covered my expenses during summer months and was purely voluntary rest of time so there was no chance of being able to make any form of living out of it. But I was fairly young with no commitments and university/proper job so it didn't bother me as I could do what I loved without any cost to me.

But I can see for power boating its a different thing altogether, where there is likely to be considerable outlay to be recouped and probably a bit older with commitments to provide for. Hence, is the questionnaire aimed at all or just the powerboating sector.

C2 RIBS · 21 January 2013, 16:19

It was aimed at all levels from Yachts to powerboats, classroom etc. Looking at RYA and what we thought of them as an instructor in given field responder was at.

Doug Stormforce · 21 January 2013, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

I like many instructors I guess will have seen the latest e mails for an RYA survey connected to instructing. Since the RYA have received quite a few comments recently on other posts I thought I would share one of their questions

Q-What was your motivation behind becoming an instructor? Please tick all options that apply to you.
To undertake voluntary work
To undertake paid work
To give something back to the sport
The share my knowledge
It was necessary for my employment
It looks good on my CV

Other (please specify)

I found the suggestion of these areas shall I say "interesting" as most instructors I guess are doing this to earn a living/money and love the opportunity to be involved in training new boat users. Perhaps I am being too scynical?

Surely they have covered that in "To undertake paid work" and "share my knowledge".

TBH if money was the sole driver then many of us made a pretty poor choice. The combination of lifestyle and earning a bit or money is i think a winner for most of us.

One of the problems with the modern world of Survey Monkey is that anyone can produce a survey regardless of their understanding of how to write and use surveys. (Yes there is a huge skill to market research, that much of the population are blissfully unaware of) This particular question however does not seem to bad and as far as I can see covers the options you want. You can tick more than one box...

C2 RIBS · 21 January 2013, 18:38

Doug I understand that, just surprised that a person would become an instructor

to do voluntary work, unpaid work, look good on CV, just very strange wording. Not sure RYA understand why we are instructors and you do it full time as a business with I assume very good support from them.

As a commercial charter operator I hear numerous people in a similar position who wont join RYA membership as they believe it gives them as skippers very little- just observations as a non school

Poly · 21 January 2013, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Doug I understand that, just surprised that a person would become an instructor

to do voluntary work, unpaid work, look good on CV, just very strange wording. Not sure RYA understand why we are instructors and you do it full time as a business with I assume very good support from them.

As a commercial charter operator I hear numerous people in a similar position who wont join RYA membership as they believe it gives them as skippers very little- just observations as a non school

Wow Ian I didn't think you expected everyone in the world to think exactly like you...

The questionnaire covers all instructors so that is everybody from people like Doug who are doing it for "career" reasons a uni student hoping to top up his loan with bear vouchers, to the guy at the local sailing club or sea scout group who is doing it voluntary, or the student who is, at least in part, doing it to make them seem a better person to a future employer. Bearing in mind that this covers dinghy sailing and windsurfing as well as PB2, Safety boat etc and things often work differently at that end of the watersports world; especially when it involves young people.

PeterM · 21 January 2013, 19:03

Interesting ....as a want to be ( must make some calls this week to book it !)...

I have no intention of ever 'making' money ...I want to do it to prove I can. If I get to meet people and boat at the same time..thats a real plus for me.

So probably for me it will be a 'none of the above'.....

And I've never been an RYA member.....just never really looked into it.

C2 RIBS · 21 January 2013, 19:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

Wow Ian I didn't think you expected everyone in the world to think exactly like you....

Nah, I am a one off!!(probably a good thing)

paulbrown22 · 21 January 2013, 22:09

Must admit that all my instructing is done purely done as a volunteer with the Sea Cadets at their only volunteer-run National Training Centre: TS Rebel Homepage .

Have always been involved with some form of youth training (Scouts, Sea Scouts, CCF, Sea Cadets), so progressing with RYA instructors qualifications in various disciplines is something I do purely to expand what we can offer to the cadets, and to get more of them involved on the water. Sea Cadets should go to sea - something a large part of the organisation doesn't necessarily realise!

biffer · 22 January 2013, 08:33

I applaud you Paul and what you're doing is leaving a legacy for our young ones. As posted elsewhere. There is some objection to being ask to do volunteer work for the RYA when they charge so much for there time. Some of what they do is so obviously done to generate money and to a gathering number of us we think it wrong. I believe in doing charity stuff and I do my fair share but I don't see what the RYA are doing in some cases as charitable

Solent Ranger · 22 January 2013, 08:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Doug I understand that, just surprised that a person would become an instructor

to do voluntary work, unpaid work, look good on CV, just very strange wording. Not sure RYA understand why we are instructors and you do it full time as a business with I assume very good support from them.

As a commercial charter operator I hear numerous people in a similar position who wont join RYA membership as they believe it gives them as skippers very little- just observations as a non school

I agree with you Ian. I opened it, started to do it then left. I will not return to complete it. Badly constructed and frankly I' m not sure what they are looking for. Before doing what I do now I spent many years in marketing and research was part of that function.

boristhebold · 22 January 2013, 09:43

I wouldn't read to much into the survey it was probably put together by some work experience person or someone who didn't have much knowledge, most surveys on any subject these days are full of dumb/stupid questions, perhaps it was just a modified version of a survey someone found on the internet. From the responses so far it shows it hasn't worked very well. LOL

tonto · 22 January 2013, 11:36

[QUOTE=Doug Stormforce;512066] (Yes there is a huge skill to market research, that much of the population are blissfully unaware of)QUOTE]

Call me cynical

but I always thought that the point of surveys was to ensure the view that the person, or organisation, who commisioned the survey was supported

Was it Winston Churchill that said
"There are lies, Damn lies, and Statistics!"

Tonto

EnglishLes · 22 January 2013, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonto

Was it Winston Churchill that said
"There are lies, Damn lies, and Statistics!"

Tonto

Apparently not - origin seems to be unknown/unverifiable see Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

paulbrown22 · 22 January 2013, 18:32

Biffer - agree with much of that. For both commercial schools/operators and charities, the RYA make it increasingly hard/expensive to work with them!

We have had various high level meetings with them over the last few years, with little success for the most part. As one of the largest sea-based youth training organisations in the UK and a major provider of RYA courses for young people (many of whom are from less well off backgrounds and wouldn't otherwise get involved in boating) you'd hope the RYA might want to engage with us, if only for the fact that we get huge numbers of young people involved in the RYA schemes (and paying full RYA rates!).

Sadly we made very little progress, which makes running a fully RYA accredited training centre as a self-supporting charity an increasingly hard proposition - something I think many of the commercial schools also find!