Swim teachers of the future have been making a splash with East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure (ERCL) by successfully completing their Scottish Swimming Teaching Qualification (SSTQ) course.
ERCL works in partnership with Scottish Swimming to deliver three SSTQ courses per year, ensuring swimming teachers are trained to support the high demand for children's swimming lessons in the area.
Around 2,500 children currently participate in ERCL Trust’s swimming lesson programme, which was recently shortlisted for Scottish Water's Swim Provider of the Year.
The teaching qualification is an SCQF Level 7 on the SQA Board, combining online training with practical learning, where candidates shadow current swimming teachers in the water and support children during Learn to Swim lessons.
Danielle Brayson led the training for the aspiring swim teachers.
Danielle was awarded the UK Coaching Performance Development Coach of the Year in 2019 and is head coach of the City of Glasgow swim team, where she trains junior international swimmers and has worked with Commonwealth Games medallists.
She said: "The SSTQ is a vocational course and our swimming teachers work alongside ERCL qualified teachers, experience working with children in the pool from day one, lesson plan and learn and teach water safety as well as developing all four swimming strokes.
"I enjoy seeing the candidates developing on the course, becoming more confident with the young people in the water and taking them through to the end of the course, where they become qualified swim teachers.
"I like working with different people from different backgrounds and encouraging them to get involved in swimming."
The aspiring teachers travelled from near and far to attend the course.
Eighteen-year-old Gabriella Lessing from Dunlop is in first year at Glasgow university, studying law and history.
She has been swimming as part of the Ren 96 Swim Team since the age of seven and wanted to pass on her knowledge and passion for swimming to younger generations.
Gabriella explained: "Swimming is a very big part of my life.
"I've been swimming competitively for a really long time and wanted to be able to do it as a job and contribute to helping other people learn to swim.
"It's rewarding when you see people who may struggle at the start and then you spend time teaching them and they start to get it.
"The course is helping me see swimming through a beginner's eyes."
Robert Hammond from ERCL added: "We'd like to congratulate our group of aspiring swim teachers.
"We are now supporting them in progressing to paid employment as swim teachers.
"Swimming is a life skill and we're delighted to be able to train our future swimming teachers, to ensure we can continue delivering the best quality programme for learners.
"Our swim teachers play a vital role, helping young swimmers to develop confidence, skills and competence in the water throughout the year and also delivering water safety awareness."
To find out more and register interest in future courses, visit https://www.ercultureandleisure.org/fitness-swimming/swimming-lessons-4/kids-swimming-lessons/apply-to-be-a-swimming-instructor/.
Other qualified swimming teachers who may be interested in a career with ERCL should visit https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/east-renfrewshire-council/jobs/casual-swimming-instructor-303570.
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