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Aiming to build capacity to deliver aquatic training by injecting new staff into the South Australian aquatics industry, a new one-year program is to address staff shortages.

Advocacy by Life Saving SA and the SA Aquatics Committee for a South Australian Government commitment to help support the shortfall of staff in the state’s aquatics industry experienced during and post COVID-19 was successful this year with the South Australian Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing and South Australian Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Katrine Hildyard allocating funds under the Active State Collaboration Grant Program.

The program will now be delivered in three parts.

• Part 1 - 20 x New highly skilled and select, aquatic industry professionals embarked on their journey to become Cert IV Trainer & Assessors & AUSTSWIM Presenters and gain long term, lifetime career skills.
• Part 2 - 50 x New AUSTSWIM Qualified TSW Swim Teachers
• Part 3 - 50 x New Surf Life Saving SA Qualified Pool Lifeguards (with First Aid & CPR)

Surf Life Saving SA/Life Saving SA is leading the project, along with specific project partners AUSTSWIM SA, YMCA SA, Belgravia Leisure, Blue Fit, SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre (SAALC), the City of Campbelltown (The ARC), Immanuel iSwim and Tjindu Foundation.

The project will run for one year and result in addressing the industry wide staff shortage and more children accessing vital water safety lessons.

Surf Life Saving SA Aquatic Programs Coordinator, Stu Ferenci explains “more aquatic trainer and assessors and more presenters will lead to more swim teachers, more pool lifeguards, more swimming lessons  and more children learning to swim and lead to less preventable drowning incidents.”

Images: Participants in a Cert IV Trainer & Assessors (top) and promotion for the program (below). 

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