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Guide Training in South East England
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Propectus |
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Please Note:
All enquiries must be by e-mail to the Programme Director.
The Prospectus and Application Form are available only by downloading them from this site.
Please do not contact the Guild offce. |
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Objective
To prepare students to enter the tourist industry as qualified guides for the South East England area. Registered tourist guides are qualified by examinations set and administered by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. Those students who are successful in these examinations will be awarded the ‘Blue Badge’ for South East England.
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Programme Content
During the programme students study the following:
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Background knowledge - a wide cultural background to Britain. |
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South East England knowledge - an in-depth local knowledge |
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Guiding techniques - communication and presentation skills for guiding on foot, on site and from a moving vehicle. |
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Business skills - learning to work as a self-employed guide within the tourist industry. |
Subjects covered include: history, geography and geology, agriculture and countryside, law, English literature, visual and performing arts, monarchy, government, tourism, sport, industry and commerce, finance, various galleries and museums in South East, religion, architecture, gardens, current affairs, tour planning and problem solving.
In depth South East: Brighton, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Rochester and Weald. Students will be trained to carry out walks, coach, church and museum/gallery tours.
At all times health and safety, customer care and the widest possible access for all are stressed.
A handbook containing the full syllabus is given to students at the start of the programme.
Please Note:
It is essential for students to have regular access to a computer, email and a good printer as handouts for lectures and communications regarding changes or additions to the programme are sent out electronically.
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Programme Structure
The four components of the programme content form an integrated programme of study. The programme is part-time.
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Lectures and Practical training sessions take place on Saturdays and some Wednesdays over three terms. The programme is modular and is based in and around three centres – Brighton, Canterbury and Medway/Weald.
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Private home study: The student should expect to spend several hours each week on private research and learning of material. In addition to this, the holiday breaks are intended as study leave. Over the whole programme students should expect to spend at least 500 hours in self-directed study. |
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Programme Dates 2010 - 2011
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Induction weekend
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March 27th and 28th, 2010. |
| April 17th – June 12th |
Module 1 Brighton |
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June 26th –July 24th
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Module 2 Canterbury |
| July 25 – Sep 7th |
Summer Holiday for private study |
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Sep 8th – Oct 2nd
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Module 2 continued |
| Oct 16th – Dec 7th |
Module 3 Medway/Weald |
| Dec 18th – Jan 7th |
Christmas Holiday for private study |
| Jan 8th - Jan 31st |
Module 3 concludes |
Programme Fees
The programme fee is £2160.00. This includes all teaching, entrance fees, coach travel as part of the training, core knowledge CD and other programme learning materials. Also included is a two day communications seminar on practical presentation skills which will take place mid-week at the Guild during the first module.
Half of the programme fee (£1,080.00) is payable upon acceptance of the place by March 15th 2010. The other half (£1,080.00) is payable before September 8th 2010.
No refunds will be given if a student withdraws from the programme or any part of it, nor for non-use of services provided. The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides reserves the right to cancel and refund all fees paid or to offer the programme at a higher fee if insufficient enrolments are received.
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Final Assessment
The Programme Director will submit students for practical and written assessment administered by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. To gain the Blue Badge qualification students have to pass all the sections.
The examination dates and fees for 2010-2011 payable to the Institute of Tourist Guiding have not yet been finalised, so the following is for your guidance only:
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Background Knowledge written examination October 2010
(also offered in March 2011)
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c£85.00
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Written project to be completed by the beginning of the autumn term. Four practical examinations (Museum, Walk, Church and Coach)
Written examination for the specified South East Blue Badge
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c£400.00 |
There is an additional language test and fee for those wishing to qualify to guide in a language which is not their mother tongue. The cost of this test is about £80.00 for each language.
Successful candidates will have their name added to the Institute of Tourist Guiding’s Register of Guides and will be issued with the South East England Registered Guide photo card and Blue Badge.
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Working as a Guide
The role and function of a tourist guide is to welcome, organise, inform and entertain. This rewarding work allows great opportunities to meet a wide range of people, to travel and manage his or her own working environment. Tourist guides in Britain are mainly freelance and self-employed. Work is seasonal, often involving unsocial hours, and is usually obtained by direct contact with tour operators and other agencies. In addition, a guide with good marketing skills can successfully establish a strong client base.
Registration with the Institute of Tourist Guiding signifies that a tourist guide has achieved an acceptable level of professional competence. The Institute does not offer work to tourist guides but promotes the Blue Badge in general. Tourist guides are listed in its annual directory, which is distributed to users of guide services.
Depending on what type of work is being undertaken, tourist guides will charge a range of fees. For ‘mainstream’ guiding work in English in 2010 freelance South East England Blue Badge guides are negotiating minimum fees in the range of £120-£140 per half day and £190-£215 per full day. Driver guides (guides who use their own vehicles to take visitors on tours) and those with second languages generally charge a higher minimum.
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Application and Selection
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You can download an application form here
Application should be made by completing the form, in dark ink, (please attach typed e-mail address) and posting it with a cheque for £25.00, made payable to Guild Training, South East Account, to
South East Blue Badge Programme
The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides
52d Borough High Street
London
SE1 1XN
The closing date for receiving applications for the programme is February 19th, 2010.
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Applicants will be asked to attend an interview in the first week in March. Before the interview they will be asked to complete a pre-entry test of some 50 questions requiring a few word answers. At interview they will be asked to make a 3 minute presentation on any subject of their choice to do with the South East Area. .
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Offers of a place on the programme will be sent out to successful candidates by March 5th 2010..
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Candidates' acceptance letters (together with 50% of the fee) should be received by March 15th in time for the Induction Weekend on March 27th and 28th 2010.
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Candidates will need to demonstrate an outgoing personality, smart appearance, physical stamina, good general knowledge, organisational ability, flexibility, a genuine interest and concern for people and the motivation to work as an independent professional in a freelance capacity.
Preference for places on the programme will be given to those who are fluent in a language other than English and to those with a background in the tourism industry.
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The Institute of Tourist Guiding
The Institute of Tourist Guiding is the standard setting body, not only for Blue Badge guides but for the whole of the tourist guiding sector. It provides examinations and accredits programmes that meet its standards.
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Programme Director
Ms Jenny Oulton, MITG
Jenny is an international lead trainer for the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations and has trained guides around the world. She has previously been Joint Programme Director for the Heart of England Blue Badge Training Programme and a special London Blue Badge training programme for existing regional blue badge guides. She was the Examinations Manager when the Institute of Tourist Guiding was founded, organising all examinations for tourist guide programmes accredited by the Institute.
Training Provider
The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides is both a membership organisation and a training provider of guide training programmes in London and other areas of England.
Programme Tutors & Lecturers
All the tutors on the programme work as South East England Blue Badge guides. All the lecturers are specialists in their areas and many of them are also Blue Badge guides..
Steering Group
There is a steering group for the programme made up from representatives of the industry. These include the Programme Director, the Chief Examiner, the Chair of the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides, a representative of Visit Sussex, an academic, two users of guide services or representatives from sites and the chair of South East England Tourist Guide Association. The Chairman of the Steering Group is Mrs Rosalind Hutchinson MBE, MITG.
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