Climbing Awards Review - candidate transition arrangements

The following information is designed for all candidates affected by the new climbing qualifications.

We have some important news about recent developments to four Mountain Training qualifications:

Climbing Wall Award
Climbing Wall Award Abseil Module
Single Pitch Award
Climbing Wall Leading Award

You may be aware that Mountain Training is launching a new suite of climbing qualifications and this includes some amendments to the existing qualifications. We hope that this increased range of qualifications and a new personal rock climbing skills scheme combined with clear descriptive names will support all Mountain Training candidates in this rapidly developing sector.

All of your current registrations, training courses and assessments are protected and will be valid within these new qualifications. The changes do not affect the scope of the existing qualifications but the syllabi have been amended to acknowledge the role that an assistant might play in helping you and in clarifying the level of teaching ability required to complete each qualification (how to teach).

To give the public a clearer understanding of what the role of each qualification is we have re-named them as follows:

Climbing Wall Instructor – formerly Climbing Wall Award
Climbing Wall Instructor Abseil Module – formerly Climbing Wall Award Abseil Module
Rock Climbing Instructor – formerly Single Pitch Award
Climbing Wall Development Instructor – formerly Climbing Wall Leading Award

We have tried to minimise the impact on our existing candidates within these schemes so please read the detailed information below to help you understand where you stand and how you will move between old and new qualifications.

The launch date for the revised schemes is 2nd April 2018.

For existing CWA/CWAA/SPA/CWLA holders:

We will continue to clearly recognise the validity of your qualification. On the Candidate Management System you will still be shown as having gained the Climbing Wall Award, Abseil Module, Single Pitch Award or Climbing Wall Leading Award. We will also show that you have gained the re-named, revised qualification(s) as appropriate. For example someone currently holding the Climbing Wall Award will retain their qualification and will also gain its replacement qualification, Climbing Wall Instructor.

This will mean that:

You will still be able to operate exactly as before.
Should you wish to continue your development through our other qualifications or become part of our delivery workforce, you will have the appropriate prerequisite qualification(s).

Support will be available for candidates who wish to learn more about the changes to the existing syllabi.

For candidates who have been deferred at CWA/CWAA/SPA/CWLA assessment:

You will be reassessed on your deferred competencies in the existing scheme as per the feedback you received at assessment. If this reassessment takes place prior to 2nd April 2018, you will be awarded the existing qualification (and will subsequently be given a new scheme qualification as per the information above). If the reassessment takes place after 2nd April, you will be awarded with the revised qualification.

To make this possible we will automatically register you on the equivalent revised scheme. Your existing training course and assessment report will count as a prerequisite for the revised scheme reassessment.

NB. The existing information regarding reassessments is unchanged: Practical reassessments cannot take place within three months of the initial assessment to allow sufficient time for practice and preparation. All deferral reassessments must be completed within five years.

For candidates who have completed CWA/CWAA/SPA/CWLA training:

You have the option of undertaking assessment within the existing scheme prior to 2nd April 2018 OR you can complete an assessment in the new scheme after 2nd April 2018.

To make this possible we will automatically register you on the equivalent revised scheme. Your existing training course will count as a prerequisite for the revised scheme assessment.

For candidates who have registered for CWA/CWAA/SPA/CWLA but not yet attended training:

You may attend a training course as part of the existing scheme prior to 2nd April 2018. If you choose to do this, please read the information above for candidates who have completed training.

Regardless of whether you attend a training course prior to 2nd April 2018 or not, we will automatically register you on the equivalent new scheme so that you can continue through the revised qualification.

Where applicable, registrations will be added to your account before the end of the year and qualifications will be awarded shortly before 2nd April, 2018. After you have been given the revised qualification(s) you can order a new certificate, if you would like one.

The candidate handbooks for the revised qualifications will be available in due course from the website.

We hope that this information is clear. If you have any queries about how these changes affect you please read the Frequently Asked Questions page. If you still have questions please contact us.

This article was posted on 02/11/2017.