Polar Tourism Guides Association (PTGA)
“The PTGA is a non-profit professional association that provides external performance testing and qualifications to guides who operate in the polar regions. Established and run by some of the most experienced and respected guides in the polar tourism industry, the PTGA also provides its community of guides with a range of resources for continually developing polar guiding skills.”
Marine Guide Training (MGT) trains guides to the industry standards set out by PTGA. We have been vetted by PTGA and are an approved Training and Assessment Provider. This means that we are in a unique position to be able to offer assessments following Guide Training Week, which gives our participants a leg up when applying for jobs in the polar/expedition industry.
Whether you choose to do the assessment or not, Marine Guide Training will provide you with a training certificate upon completion of your course. The training certificate is a joint document between PTGA and MGT, and will provide potential employers a better appreciation for the work you have done to prepare for the expedition guiding industry.
If you are interested in signing up for the assessments following the Guide Training Week, please read more below.
PGTA Assessments with MGT
Following your participation in Guide Training Week, you have the option to stay two and a half days extra to go through the assessment process with our PTGA Assessor.
The assessment process is different from the training process. While doing an assessment, the assessor can not stop to help teach a skill. The candidate that is being assessed must meet minimum competency in the polar qualifications (PQs) that they are being assessed on. The training you receive during Guide Training Week will go above and beyond minimum competency. However, just because you have completed the training does not necessarily guarantee that you will pass the assessment. It will certainly set you up for success, but you as a candidate have to put in the work required to hone your skills to pass. During the training week we will be giving plenty of hands-on training to help you hone those skills.
To be certified as a Polar Guide, you must be assessed on at least 5 of 8 core competencies (Polar Qualifications) and log 150 days of active guiding. During your course, expect to be introduced to all 8 core competencies, giving you a solid foundation for future assessment.
Assessing will take place immediately following the training course. On Day 7 of your course, the training ends at mid-day, and that afternoon we will begin with the assessment process. Due to time constraints, we can only offer assessments for the following PQs: Radio/Communications, Navigation, Working with Small Boats, and Driving Small Boats.
Please download and read through the syllabus for those PQs here (https://polartourismguides.com/ptga-syllabi-documents) prior to signing up for assessments to ensure that you are well prepared going into the assessments.
Please note, you must have a valid first aid certificate, and sign up as a PTGA member prior to doing assessments.