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Description
Preceding research findings show a height of outdoor sports and the consequent need to train qualified instructors. Even so, the training system for professionals in the sector is still being ordered and structured, and previous work have highlighted existing diversity in the regulation of outdoor activities in Spain.
This article aims: 1) to compare the regulations in the professional certifications of climbing, mountaineering and winter sports; 2) to analyse the differences in regulation in the Spain of the autonomous communities; and 3) to evince if current certifications align or not with the labour needs of instructors.
Content analysis of state regulations and current regulatory development of each autonomous communities was done. To measure adjustment between curriculum and work needs, quantitative methodology was used with two surveys designed ad hoc, one for instructors and another for employers.
In general, heterogeneity is observed in the regulation of curriculum between the different communities and also in comparison with the state regulation in aspects as important as the professional capacities, the exercise of the professional activity, the subjects, the time distribution, the total teaching hours and the proportion of theoretical and practical hours.
A homogenization between autonomous communities of the regulation of professional certifications in climbing, mountaineering and winter sports may be necessary, with the aim of ensuring a convergent line for the professional practice of these modalities throughout the state territory.
