Australiaâ„¢s beaches will be even safer this summer as a result of moves to provide nationally accredited training courses for the countryâ„¢s active surf lifesavers. From the beginning of the 2005-2006 swimming season, surf lifesavers will be able to gain accreditation in Certificate II in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue)â„¢, a nationally recognised award under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Australia’s beaches will be even safer this summer as a result of moves to provide nationally accredited training courses for the country’s active surf lifesavers. From the beginning of the 2005-2006 swimming season, surf lifesavers will be able to gain accreditation in Certificate II in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue)’, a nationally recognised award under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) Lifesaving Manager, Peter Agnew, said the initiative represented the biggest development in training of surf lifesavers since the inception of the Bronze Medallion in 1910.

“For nearly a century, SLSA has provided training to equip our lifesavers with the skills necessary to perform rescues and administer first aid, and the success of that training is evident when you consider that we have carried out nearly half a million surf rescues and provided first aid to almost one million people over that time, Mr Agnew said. “It’s now time to seek broader recognition for our qualifications in order to improve our existing high standards through benchmarking with other public safety organisations.

“Over the course of this coming summer we will offer all our existing Bronze Medallion holders the opportunity to apply for Certificate II in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue), which will involve a further review of their skills including on-the-job assessment.

This season the beach-going public can continue to be confident that they will be in safe hands when they choose to swim between the flags at any of the country’s 400 patrolled beaches, Mr Agnew said.

Details of SLSA’s plans will be unveiled at the SLSA Support Services and Trainers & Assessors Conference, to be conducted at Tallebudgera on the Gold Coast this weekend. The conference will see almost 300 surf lifesavers from across Australia and New Zealand gather to discuss the latest developments in education and training.

A new range of national educational resources to support the provision of the Certificate II in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue) will also be launched during the conference. “Another important outcome of SLSA’s move to the AQF is our ability to provide standardised training for lifeguards, which is important given we are the largest provider of lifeguard services, Mr Agnew said.

“This means that local authorities and other employers can be sure that an SLSA qualified lifeguard is fully trained and highly skilled based on international best practice standards, rather than the recipient of a certificate from an unregistered, fly-by-night’ organisation, offering cut-price lifeguard courses.

“SLSA continues to review and reassess the services we provide to the community, in order to meet our goal of zero preventable drowning along the Australian coastline, Mr Agnew concluded.