Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta - Knowledge for Tour Guides programs - frequently asked questions
- What is the knowledge for tour guides program?
- Do I have to do this course?
- Will the course replace the current Tour Operator Workshop held in the park?
- How much will the course cost?
- How long will the course take to complete?
- Who is running the course?
- What is Learnline?
- What about participants who don't have a computer?
- Is the course compulsory?
- How will participants be assessed?
- What will participants receive?
- Will successful completion of entry-level tour guide training become a permit requirement?
- I've been a tour guide for years, why do I need a certificate?
- I've been a tour guide for years and know my stuff, how do I get my certificate?
- I already have my Certificate I/II/III/IV in Tour Guiding, do I have to do this course?
- I guide in Kakadu National Park and only go to Uluru-Kata Tjuta once or twice a year; do I have to do both courses?
- Will international or interstate guides escorting tour groups, or guides on extended tours through the NT, have to do the course?
- How can I obtain more information or register my interest to do the course?
1. What is the Knowledge for Tour Guides e-learning program?
In the past Parks Australia and the traditional Aboriginal owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Kakadu National Park have been running park-based Tour Operator Workshops/Seminars for people interested in having accurate, culturally appropriate knowledge of these parks.
While these three-day workshops have proven very popular and successful, they could not fully satisfy the demand for training. Also, there was evidence that some tour guides were not providing visitors with accurate information.
As a result, Parks Australia and Charles Darwin University (CDU) have developed an entry-level tour guide training package to be delivered through CDU using a range of interactive, flexible learning tools, including a CD ROM with audio and visual learning aids, and an online discussion forum available through Learnline. The course is also available in print format or it can be delivered face to face by special arrangement with CDU.
This entry-level training covers the key areas of visitor safety, understanding the parks' natural and cultural values and history, minimising environmental impact and legal compliance. Park staff, Aboriginal traditional owners and the tourism industry have been consulted in developing the course.
A specific course has been developed for each park. The Kakadu course was released in November 2006 and the course for Uluru-Kata Tjuta is due to be released in 2009.
2. Do I have to do this course?
Tour guides responsible for the safety and welfare of visitors to Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Kakadu National Parks will be required by Parks Australia to have successfully completed either one or both of these courses (depending on where they are guiding) to be eligible to operate in the park(s).
For Kakadu, from 1 April 2008 it has been a compulsory requirement for tour guides leading tour groups in the park to have completed the course.
The Uluru-Kata Tjuta course will become available in 2009, with an 18 month lead time before it is compulsory.
3. Will the course replace the current Tour Operator Workshop/Seminar?
The Knowledge for tour guides program has replaced the basic training content of the tour operator workshops. The priority at the moment is to get the Knowledge for Tour Guides program established in both parks. In the future Traditional owners and park staff will continue to hold the popular park-based tour operator workshops/seminars. The entry-level training will be a prerequisite for attendance at the workshops, so these workshops will no longer need to include basic training. Therefore the content of the park-based workshops will be enhanced to provide a more in-depth experience of local culture.
4. How much will the course cost?
This training is subsidised by the NT Government through the VET system and costs $200. Those undertaking both the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Kakadu courses will pay a reduced rate for the second course, which will be discussed during enrollment.
5. How long will the course take to complete?
Because of the flexible nature of delivery, participants will undertake learning at their own pace, and much will depend on the participant's existing knowledge of the subject matter.
Students will be given 12 months to complete the course. However course organisers estimate that guides with a working knowledge of their park will be able to complete the course in a significantly shorter period, with some completing it in a matter of days.
Individual support will be available to assist participants to work through the materials and learning and assessment activities. The CDU coordinator will have more details.
6. Who is running the course?
Participants will be enrolled through Charles Darwin University's School of Tourism and Hospitality in the Interpret Aspects of Local Australian Indigenous Culture unit. The course will be delivered on CD ROM, giving students access to CDU's Learnline e-learning website. For those who don't have access to a computer or the internet, the course can be made available in print.
7. What is Learnline?
Learnline is used by Charles Darwin University to make subjects available online. Learnline allows participants to undertake interactive learning activities, download information and link to other websites. Participants can also view their progress and participate in online class discussion.
8. What about participants who don't have a computer?
Participants who don't have a computer will have the course and all materials made available to them in a print version.
9. Is the course mandatory?
The Boards of Management of both Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks have resolved that successful completion of the entry-level tour guide training is mandatory for the person that maintains primary responsibility for a tour group while they are in the park.
For Kakadu, completion of the course has been compulsory since 1 April 2008. For Uluru-Kata Tjuta the course will become available in 2009 with an 18 month lead time before it is mandatory.
This applies whether the company visits the park only once a year, or more frequently.
10. How will participants be assessed?
Tour guides can complete the course at their own pace. They do not need to attend classes. This is a flexible program where all the tools needed to complete the course are supplied at the time of enrolment. This means that guides can complete their assessment questions through whichever means they are most comfortable with - be it written or video/audio recordings, by email, in an interactive workshop, face-to-face or over the phone.
Participants will be assessed by the Tour Guiding Trainer and Assessor from CDU's School of Hospitality and Tourism.
11. What will participants receive?
Course participants who successfully complete the tour guide training course will receive a nationally-recognised Statement of Attainment from CDU. Course participants will also receive certification from Parks Australia.
12. Will successful completion of entry-level tour guide training become a permit requirement?
From 1 April 2008 in Kakadu National Park, permits to conduct tours for commercial purposes will include a condition stating that the permittee's tour guides, i.e. the person with primary responsibility for the permittee's clients, must have successfully completed the entry-level tour guide training course, This is similar to the condition that requires the tour guide to hold a Senior First Aid Certificate.
For Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park there will be an 18 month lead time for guides to complete the course before it becomes a permit condition.
13. I've been a tour guide for years, why do I need a certificate?
As stakeholders in an increasingly professional industry, Parks Australia and the Boards of Management of Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks are aware that the information presented to visitors by tour guides directly impacts on visitor safety and experience.
These courses have been specifically developed by CDU using information collected by Parks Australia on behalf of the Aboriginal traditional owners of the two parks. Each course is specifically tailored to the respective park.
The entry-level tour guide training course has been developed to ensure that the information presented to visitors is of the highest standard, and is part of a broader move towards industry-accredited national benchmarks in education and training.
14. I've been a tour guide for years and know my stuff - how do I get my certificate?
As a Registered Training Organisation, CDU offers credit transfer and recognition of prior learning. Credit transfer applies to students who have completed equivalent units of competency with a Registered Training Organisation, while recognition of prior learning applies to experienced guides who can demonstrate that they meet all the requirements of the training.
However, to gain certification from Parks Australia to guide in each of the parks, participants will need to demonstrate knowledge specific to the parks. This is done by undertaking the assessment sections of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta or Kakadu tour guide training courses.
15. I already have my Certificate I/II/III/IV in Tour Guiding, do I have to do this course?
While tour guides who have already completed a nationally accredited Tourism qualification may have successfully completed the elective unit Interpret Aspects of Local Australian Indigenous Culture, the training courses have been developed recently with knowledge specific to guiding in Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks.
The Boards of Management of the parks have determined that guides need knowledge specific to each park to maximise safety, compliance, and the accuracy of information provided to park visitors.
While credit transfer and recognition of prior learning are available for the unit Interpret Aspects of Local Australian Indigenous Culture, successful completion of the assessment sections of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Kakadu tour guide training courses will be required to gain certification from Parks Australia to guide in either of these parks.
16. I guide in Kakadu National Park and only go to Uluru-Kata Tjuta once or twice a year; do I have to do both courses?
Due to the differences between the Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Kakadu National Parks, most of the content in each course is park-specific. Tour guides operating at both parks who are responsible for the safety and welfare of visitors will need to show that they understand these differences by successfully completing both certificates.
Those who complete the training for Kakadu, and then undertake the training course for Uluru-Kata Tjuta, will be enrolled in a unit called Research and Share General Information on Australian Indigenous Culture. Similarly, those who initially undertake the training for Uluru-Kata Tjuta, will be enrolled in this second unit, which will equip them with knowledge specific to Kakadu.
17. Will international or interstate guides escorting tour groups, or guides on extended tours through the NT, have to do the course?
All tour guides with primary responsibility for visitors to Kakadu National Park are now required to have successfully completed the entry-level tour guide training course.
The Uluru - Kata Tjuta course will become available to people who have enrolled at CDU in the new academic year. The industry will then have 18 months lead time to complete the course before it becomes a permit condition.Tour groups who do not have a suitably qualified guide will be required to employ a local guide who holds the appropriate certification.
18. How can I obtain more information or register my interest to do the course?
Those seeking more information on the Kakadu course should contact:
Charles Darwin University
School of Tourism and Hospitality
Palmerston Campus
Charles Darwin University NT 0909
Phone: 08 8946 7954
Fax: 08 8946 7833
International: +61 8 8946 7954
Kakadu Course Email: kakadu-online@cdu.edu.au
Enrolment information is available on the CDU website:
http://www.cdu.edu.au/tourismhospitality/kakadu-knowledge.html
Those seeking more information or to register their interest in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta training course should contact:
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Cultural Centre
Phone: +61 (0) 8 8956 1128
Email: uluru.education@environment.gov.au