Reputation & Recognition

Rockley Academy is the culmination of more than 35 years of professional excellence grown and nurtured in the UK’s most respected training company.  Rockley is synonymous with sailing and we have taught many 1000s of children and adults how to get onboard sailing and windsurfing courses.

We are experts in this field, with many of the holiday industry's largest and most respected brands choosing Rockley Academy for their staff training.  Generations of parents and young people also know the value of practical, certificated training courses, which provide recognised qualifications leading to employment in the watersports leisure industry.

Starting from scratch:

Join us on a life changing experience:

  • Make your gap year a gap life
  • Change your career destiny
  • Build a solid sailing foundation
  • Taste new adventures

Already qualified:

  • Further your personal development
  • Enhance your CV
  • Gain more qualifications
  • Take the next step

Career Clinic

Our highly qualified and experienced team – everyone from our Training Advisors in the office to the Instructors and Coaches at the centres – make up Rockley Academy’s unique Career Clinic.  Whose objective is to help you make the most of our training opportunities.

For example…

If you're looking for a professional qualification to help you change your career (either permanently or just for a season), check out our Pro-Packages.  

 

Pro-Packages are designed to train people, whether novice or experienced sailor, to high professional standards so that they can find work as a dinghy and/or windsurfing instructor around the world. This option is great if you are looking for a vocational toolkit to take with you whilst travelling or if you're looking for a new, exciting career.

For example…

You can also tailor and enhance your watersports instructor training by choosing from across a range of watersports disciplines from powerboating, surfing or kitesurfing to stand up paddleboarding. 

For example…

Rockley’s flexible course durations and start dates allow individuals to do something a little quirky and different, particularly during their Gap Year or Career Break.  

 

For example…

Our Training Advisors can assist with work placements and direct you to marine recruitment specialists to give you the low down on working fulltime on the water!

“gain life-skills … that last a lifetime”

Working for Rockley

Rockley Watersports, of which Rockley Academy is part of, is one of Europe’s most highly regarded watersports training and holiday companies.  Based on the shores of Poole Harbour on the south coast of England, Rockley operates 2 training centres, Rockley also operates 3 activity centres on the shores of large, freshwater lakes in the south west of France.

 

What does Rockley do?

In addition to our dinghy sailing, windsurfing and powerboating courses for beginners to experts we also offer activity holidays to school groups and family dinghy sailing holidays at our centres in France. Currently more than 5000 people pass through our centres annually which means each season we need qualified watersports instructors.

 

Rockley People

At the centre of everything we do are our staff or seasonaires. We know that they are our number one asset.  Each year we work with over 150 individuals to provide the best seasonal or Gap Year work experience possible.  Our success is shown by the high numbers of staff who return year after year.

 

So whether you are thinking about your first job in the watersports industry, or looking for the next step in your career, we know that as the largest watersports trainer in the UK, we can provide many opportunities for you to progress.  Check out our Professional Watersports Training for tailor made courses to give you the qualifications and experience that you need to work in watersports.  When and where possible we will also encourage onsite training to enhance both your personal and professional development.  Above all else your work with Rockley as part of our team will be one of the most life enhancing things you ever do.  Be part of it!

 

Click here to Apply online >>>

 

Work Experience

At Rockley Academy we aim to give individuals all the assistance we can to get them started in a career in watersports. Alongside our recognised courses and training we can provide work experience options to suite a variety of people.

School Curriculum Work Placement Each year we provide work experience for a handful of school pupils (16yrs +) from our local Poole and Bournemouth schools. Students come to us for 1 or 2 weeks placement and get first hand experience of how a watersports centre is run and what life as a watersports instructor is really like. Students will be required to produce goals and targets for the placement and will endeavour to work towards these during their time with us. Predominately run at our Poole Park centre, students can expect to get involved in Kayaking, Sailing and Windsurfing.

Training Work Placement For those choosing to undertake one of our Professional Watersports Training (Pro-Packages) or intensive Instructor courses, we can provide a complete work experience package following the course. This will give newly qualified instructors the chance to develop their newly acquired skills, putting their knowledge into a practical environment. Under the watchful eyes of our experienced teams at the centres, candidates will be able to hone their talents as instructors and gain valuable instructional experience required to progress in the industry as well as enhancing their own cvs with employer-friendly experience and attributes.