Outdoor Education Assistant (Traineeship)

Job Description
Wesley College Melbourne, a school of the Uniting Church, established in 1866, is one of Australia's leading and most respected co-educational independent schools. With an enrolment of 3,400 students from ECLC to Year 12, it comprises three metropolitan campuses in Melbourne, at St Kilda Road, Glen Waverley and Elsternwick, Outdoor Education sites at Chum Creek, Mallana, Lochend and a Year 9 residential campus at Clunes.
In addition to the Melbourne based campuses, Wesley College offers a remarkable sequence of outdoor experiences that we carefully layer into our school program from Years 3 to 10. All programs in this sequence share two educational aims. Firstly, we want our students to experience life within a caring and careful community - communal relationships and actions are defining and fundamental aspects of human existence. Secondly, we want our students to experience the delight of the natural world.
Wesley College's Camp Mallana is located on the Gippsland lakes, near Bairnsdale. One Outdoor Education Assistant (Traineeship) position is available from January 2024. This may be the first step into an outdoor, environmental or teaching career, or simply taken as a GAP year. To support this program, applications are invited from passionate individuals for full-time positions at our Mallana Camp.
For a broad range of experiences, Outdoor Education Assistants working at Mallana/Lochend/Chum Creek may also be rostered to work for a short period of time at one of the other Outdoor Education sites: Chum Creek, which is near Healesville, or Lochend, near Portland
The role of the Outdoor Education Assistant is to support Teaching staff in the efficient running of the Mallana Camp program. In making this appointment, the College is seeking applicants who, among other qualities, can demonstrate:

• A desire and passion for working with groups of young people
• An interest or experience in a range of outdoor activities, including bushwalking, camping, cycle touring, mountain biking, sailing and sea kayaking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate with a broad range of people
• The ability to prioritise work in a demanding and ever-changing environment

Work will be undertaken across a variety of shifts and occasional sleepovers and other night work will be required including campouts with the students in Grade 6 and Year 10. Accommodation is provided onsite whilst camps are in session as are meals.
We provide extensive professional development and individual mentoring, as well as a range of attractive employment benefits. Further details are provided in the attached position description.
The term of employment is four school terms. Outdoor Education Assistants also enrol in a traineeship TAFE program and are able to gain a Certificate Level III or IV in Outdoor Leadership. Training and qualifications in Outdoor Leadership include Wilderness First Aid, Challenge Ropes course, and Bushwalking, with electives such as flatwater canoe/kayak, rock climbing, rafting and snorkelling.
Applications close at 5:00pm on Monday 5 February 2024.
Applications will only be received via the College's online recruitment system via our website. We do not accept applications received via email.
Recruitment Agencies - thank you for thinking of us, however we do endeavour to fill our opportunities through direct channels wherever possible. If we find that we do need agency assistance, we'll be in touch.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may commence prior to the application close time.