Teacher/Training Courses - J to Z

Below is a list of organisations that offer courses for Backpackers and Gap Year travellers. They offer a range of courses and include volunteerd programmes as well paid employment and educational courses. Our Backpacker Travel Insurance is a great choice for anyone looking to travel for long periods and take part in work placements or volunteer programmes.

Language Courses Abroad

This well established organisation originally offered courses in Spain to learn Spanish. Their courses last from one week to many months and offer a whole package from the language course or private tuition to host families and accommodation. The company expanded and now offers courses in Latin America, Asia, Canada, Egypt and Europe. There is a wide range of languages on offer and include Greek, Arabic and Japanese. You can also choose a work placement or a volunteer work programme in Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica and Ecuador. www.languagesabroad.co.uk

Latin Link

A religious organisation, Latin Link organises like minded participants in teams that are sent to work alongside Latin American Christians in a number of projects. There is a strong emphasis on the church community, preaching and leadership. The courses are held in varied locations and include Chile, Peru and Central America. Committed Christians can take part in the courses which run from 3 to 4 weeks to 4 months. Participants are organised in to teams and have leaders to guide them. www.latinlink.org

Nonstop Sail and Ski

Nonstopsail and Ski have a raft of courses and services available to travellers looking for qualifications in yachting and skiing. The courses take place in Canada and New Zealand and last from 5 to 12 weeks. You can be a complete beginner or a sailor wanting to take part in an internationally recognised sailing race. They offer Adventure Sailing around Britain, the Atlantic and Caribbean. They have a yacht charter service with an experienced skipper on a fleet of comfortable and well kitted out vessels. www.nonstopsail.com

Outreach International

Volunteer projects in Mexico and Cambodia. Teaching in Coastal Schools, Orphanages, Street Children. Dance, Art and Craft, Turtle Whale and Coral Conservation, Eco-tourism. Working with Disabled and Special Needs Children. NGO placements in Cambodia. Placements are suitable for volunteers who wish to fully immerse themselves in a foreign culture for 3—6 months. Full in-country support. www.outreachinternational.co.uk

Oise

If you want to learn a language and are looking for a programme of intense tuition OISE will fit the bill. The courses are held individually, in small groups or with just three other pupils and are located in the native country of the language you are studying, France, Germany and Spain. The courses are suitable for both career and academic development. OISE also runs workshops and a Masterclass. You can choose to stay with a host family or during academic holidays, in college accommodation. www.oise.com

Oyster

This company has been organising gap year travellers for more than 10 years. They have a substantial list of activities and volunteer programmes in more than 10 countries including — Brazil, Zambia, Nepal and Chile. Paid placements can be taken up in Canada and Australia. Trips can last from a few weeks to 12 months depending on your chosen activity. You will be able to learn a language as you volunteer in one of the children’s homes in Kenya or help small children on the ski slopes of Canada. Volunteer programmes include those for children living on the streets of Brazil. www.oysterworldwide.com

Peak Leaders

You can take part in snowboard and ski instructor courses run in a number of beautiful locations in Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Argentina and Austria. The courses end in recognised qualifications such as the CASI, CSIA, NZSIA and BASI. They will assist you in finding a position in the industry after passing the course. A flexible approach to the course timings mean you can fit your course times in to suit your gap year travel dates which may coincide with your time at university. www.peakleaders.com

Projects Abroad

This is one of the original gap year travel companies offering volunteer placements for students wishing to travel and offer a skill in return. Projects Abroad have a range of opportunities for students and adults on a career break including Medicine and Healthcare, Sports, Community, Veterinary and Animal Care and Teaching. Locations include Morocco, Toga, Romania, Jamaica and India and courses can last for up to 6 months and accommodation is usually with local families. www.projects-abroad.co.uk

Quest Overseas

We specialise in worthwhile projects and challenging expeditions in Africa and South America. We have conservation and community projects in Tanzania and Swaziland followed by a 6-week expedition through Swaziland, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia. In South America we kick off with a 3-week Spanish course in Ecuador, a month’s project with children in Peru or conservation in Ecuador, followed by a 6-week expedition through Peru, Chile and Bolivia. We also run ‘Summer Expeditions’, ‘University Quest’ and ‘Quest Underseas’. www.questoverseas.com

Ski Le Gap

Offers ski and snowboard instructor qualifications primarily to gap year students in French Canada with the option to take language tuition. The courses are held with large numbers of students and you can take a month’s Intensive Course or a three year Ultimate Experience course, ski classes last for 5 hours a day. Courses available include CSIA and CSCF. www.skilegap.com

The Smallpeice Trust

Thirty places each year are available on the Smallpeice Engineering Gap Year, a seven month programme uniquely combining academic study in engineering, design and management; language tuition at a European language school and a chance to travel, live and work in Europe. Placements are arranged in a variety of engineering disciplines across nine European countries. www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk

The Ski Academy

a unique organisation that combines travel, sport and training. We provide opportunities to pursue sporting interests and perform them to a professional level. The courses vary from skiing and snowboarding to diving, sailing or surfing and run for 4 to 12 weeks. All culminate in professional, worldwide recognised instructor qualifications. Open to all standards. Start dates vary throughout the year. course locations are: the Seychelles, Caribbean, Canadian Rockies, Sierra Nevada - USA, Swiss Alps, New Zealand and South America. www.international-academy.com

Sport Lived

This company organises and runs sports coaching and training courses for gap year students looking to become part of a local community through playing and coaching sport. Choose from 12 sports from football to water polo, netball and rowing. The courses last up to 6 months and offer a choice of locations in New Zealand and Australia, either coaching and earning money whilst abroad or training in your chosen activity. Paid work can be set up in advance when you take part in one of the training placements and mentoring for all participants both for sport and pastoral care is included; accommodation is shared with other students. www.sportlived.co.uk

Tante Marie

This famous cookery school has been offering courses lasting from one day to a year for the past 50 years to students aged 16 or over from around the world. An 11 week course can end in a Cordon Bleu Certificate; a 4 week course will give you essential skills which are industry recognised. There is a beginner’s course as an introduction to healthy eating; there are no more than 10 students per class. Courses are particularly useful for those looking for chalet work. Accommodation is either with host families or in a short let rental property. www.tantemarie.co.uk

Travellers

Projects run throughout the year in Argentina, Brazil, China, Cuba, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Ukraine, in Conservation (working with dolphins, elephants, orang utans, etc) or Work Experience (eg law, journalism, medicine) and to teach disadvantaged children conversational English or music, sport, IT, drama, maths, etc. No qualifications required. Programmes are flexible, tailored to your needs, and dates are scheduled to suit you. Full support and back-up provided. www.travellersworldwide.com

Trekforce Expeditions

Trekforce Expeditions organise projects in Central America and East Malaysia; concentrating on endangered rainforests and working with local communities. Expeditions last from two to five months Our longer programmes involve expedition work, teaching in rural communities and learning new languages including Spanish and Malay. Come to an introduction day to find out more. www.trekforce.org.uk

Ticket To Ride

Offers Surfing along with Life Saving and cookery courses in Costa Rica, South Africa and Mozambique for up to 3 months. There is around 80 hours coaching in various locations with qualifications at the end of a successful course including the SSA Level 1 Surf Instructor and NLSA Basic Surf Rescue and First Aid certificates. Volunteer work whilst on the course include football coaching in one of the townships as well as helping in day care and teaching, local environmental projects and teaching township children to surf. www.ttride.co.uk

Travellers World Wide

There are more than 300 projects available for volunteers in more than 20 countries including Brunei, Peru and Zambia. The projects available include conservation, teaching, marine and language courses. Available to everyone from 17 to 70, the average course lasts from 3 to 6 months with the option to increase the term to a year. Accommodation is mostly with local families. Programmes can be extended to include working with pandas and on in elephant orphanage. www.travellersworldwide.com

Trekforce Expeditions

Trekforce Expeditions organise projects in Central America and East Malaysia; concentrating on endangered rainforests and working with local communities. Expeditions last from two to five months Our longer programmes involve expedition work, teaching in rural communities and learning new languages including Spanish and Malay. Come to an introduction day to find out more. www.trekforce.org.uk

The Year In Industry

The Year in Industry is a tried and tested way of enabling high calibre students to work in industry during a gap year. Work is real, challenging with business training provided as part of package. www.yini.org.uk

Ventureco

VentureCo offer holidays on horseback. Specialising in tailor made trips to South America, Africa and Asia. www.ventureco-worldwide.com

Year Out Drama

Year Out Drama provides an exciting, challenging, intensive, practical Drama Course, led by experts in professionally equipped performance spaces. The course enjoys close links with the RSC and students benefit from working with theatre professionals from varying disciplines, including Acting Techniques, Voice, Movement, Directing, Text Study and Performance. Students perform at the Edinburgh Festival. www.yearoutdrama.com

Warren Smith Ski Academy

This academy offers Gap year ski instructor courses leading to BASI level 2 on nine weeks residential course in Verbier, other course locations include Saa-Fee and Lake Wanake. The courses include sport psychology and science, first aid, freestyle and powder ski instruction and avalanche and mountain awareness. www.warrensmith-skiacademy.com