OTC moves to CTC

This is big news. You don't need any more!

Qualification and course development

Meet CTC, IMBA and others at the Cycle Show, with special bursary rate to the CTC/IMBA conference

Previous news from 2008 and before and earlier

News from other world sources:

BBC News / Singletrackworld / Bikebiz / IMBA UK / Mountain Bike Rider

CTC - the National Cyclists Organisation, have acquired OTC Training in what is seen as a mutually very positive arrangement.

CTC are a massive organisation within cycling, the largest in the UK, with 60,000 members a range of exciting programmes including £6million of Big Lottery funding to get more people riding bikes more often.

Ever since mountain biking appeared on the UK's shores, CTC have been involved, initially from an access perspective but more recently with Ian Warby's work on a range of mountain bike projects across the UK and links with the South West mountain bike developments. CTC are looking at a number of exciting incentives from trail developments to activity provision.

This merger puts CTC straight at the top of the tree in terms of qualification provision within mountain biking and joins forces with their significant development of the Bikeability scheme.

With an extensive background and an ethos in providing for all the UK’s cyclists’, CTC bring a host of additional resources and opportunities both to OTC provision and to mountain biking as an activity. Examples of CTC’s current level of expertise is evident through:

In existance for over 100 years

The key development body for what has now become Bikeability, providing every Year 6 child in the country the opportunity for cycle training

4 year, £6million National Lottery funded project to engage more people riding bike more often.

Already employing three key full time members of staff in England and Wales in the field of mountain biking.

As you can imagine, CTC also have substantial political influence, as a result of their past positive cycling initiatives and effects on sustainable transport, school based activities and healthy lifestyle promotion.

Arrangements for 2009 onwards will continue with the same staff in place across the board, and the activity providing world can rest assured that everyone involved is looking to extend and develop opportunities for mountain biking throughout the UK and Europe, with existing partners.

Imminently, the long term developments put in place by OTC, such as the Trail Leader course updates, combined training and assessment Technical Leader Award implementation schedule and Skill Awards will continue and be consolidated. See here for more details.

Longer term, the development opportunities for venues, leaders, mountain bikers and ultimately participants are truly fantastic, including the generation of a broad cycling and mountain bike based National Qualification Scheme.

What this means for you and others:
The new arrangements have the following impacts on each sector within mountain biking and cycling:

Leaders:
The national scheme run by the largest cycling organisation in the country. Those wanting to lead groups will know exactly where to go to become qualified. It is envisaged that CTC becomes the central location for all aspects of recreational mountain biking. Leaders will also benefit from the backing of the CTC, their membership scheme and accessible insurance services.

Employers:
With a UK wide scheme, employers will be able to be very specific about their staff qualification requirements. The system will be clear and easily understood by employers. Insurers will gain the same benefits.

Course venues:
Courses will remain exactly as previously provided, accounting for the updates being implemented through 2008 and 2009. Existing venues will be continuing with their course provision and the tutoring staff will remain the same in terms too. With the backing of the UK’s national cycling organisation and the development of the national scheme, we would expect demand to continue increasing at a rate even exceeding that encountered over the last couple of years.

Participants:
Those being led and undertaking activities, whether young people, parents, schools, or adults will know what qualifications mean, what qualifications Leaders should hold and how to identify suitably qualified people. Participants will also gain a great mountain bike experience, as it will be provided by an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and skilled leader.

More info about CTC is available here.

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Course updates and amendments.

A long term plan of qualification and course updates are being implemented over the next few months. Based on progressive educational principles, there are several updates, a culmination of two years work, coming to fruition shortly. The scheme format will follow the principles shown below:

What has happened so far:

Throughout 2008
Combined Technical Leader training and assessment course:
Piloting of new course which requires previous experience and qualifying of abilities, such as being a Trail Leader and having a leading logbook.

Advantages include enhancing the skills development provision for participants, ensuring Leaders are always qualified and Leaders having skills in all environments.

Summer 2008
New Trail Leader Award sessions:
Pilots and reviews of changing the preliminary session of the course, replacing the Role of a Leader, Ride Preparation and Equipment sections with Risk Assessment development and Operating Procedures.

These cover the same elements as previously provided, but in an applied and contextualised system, covering good practice before, during and after providing mountain biking.

What will happen in the future

September 2008
Implementation of updated Trail Leader Award:
New Trail Leader workbook based on new sessions and also verifying Leader abilities in all aspects of the Trail Leader Award.

The new Trail Leader Risk Assessment and Operating Procedures development sessions are implemented.

October 2008:
Trail Leader Award Leader Resource update:
Replacement Leader course resources for the Trail Leader Award provided to recent and future delegates.

February 2009
Combined Technical Leader course implementation:
Replacement of the existing Technical Leader Award training and assessment courses with the new combined system across the board.

April 2009
Fast Tracker course implementation:
Accredited Prior Learning route into the Techncial Leader Award for those with exceptional prior experience, qualifications and capabilites.

December 2009
Provision of the Technical Leader seperate assessment ends:
For those who have previously completed the Technical Leader training course, have build an appropriate log of led and personal rides.

This additional year is to ensure all those who need to have time to complete their qualification.

These updates are those relating to courses which OTC has developed and provided prior to joining with CTC. There will be further additions and options for mountain bikers, leaders and skill instructors in the future as a result of this conjuncture.

Existing qualifications
Existing qualifications remain valid through this changeover, as the new qualifications still cover the same elements to the same depth and high levels of expectation of Leaders' capacities as they always have. The new system simply takes account of updating chaning contexts and circumstances as well as implementing even more modern teaching and assessing techniques.

More info about the combined Technical Leader Award course is available here.

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CTC and IMBA have got together to generate a UK wide cycle and mountain bike conference across a wide range of audiences and contexts. Focusing on trail, area and region development, it's a buzz that you can be part of.

To all attendees at OTC courses, there is now a special bursary rate to the CTC and IMBA conference being held at Earls Court on 9th October. With entry costing just £50 now, this means that you save £125!

With key note speakers including Seven Stanes guru Karl Bartlett, IMBA US Executive Director, Mike Van Abel, Kevin Mayne, CTC Director, John Ireland, Forestry Commission Safety Expert and a host of others presenting, it has to be worth the trip to London village, and whats more theres the full might of the Cycle Show to see as well.

Info on the Cycle Show.
General info on the CTC and IMBA conference is available here
The conference booking form is available here, but be quick, the bursary rates are limited.

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