NOC Graduates Twenty Elite Master Guides
NOC Graduates Twenty Elite Master Guides – Brings total number of NOC Master Guides at its facilities to 45!
Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), the nation’s largest and premier outdoor recreation company, is proud to announce that 20 of its top river guides recently completed the NOC’s exclusive skills development, advanced search and rescue course in addition to completing the NOC’s Master Guide Training. The 2014 class brings the total number of NOC Master Guides to 45, or less than 5% of the company’s guide staff.
Unparalleled in the outfitting industry, NOC program requires candidates to earn River Rescue Professional certification from Rescue 3 International, a SOLO Wilderness First Responder certification, Leave No Trace Trainer certification, and Darkness to Light certification. In total, NOC’s intensive Elite Master Guide certification course requires 15 days of hard-skills development and represents a $4k investment by NOC in its top guides. NOC hand-selected each of the guides, covered the cost of the program and provided the trainees with free meals and lodging and $1,000 in new cutting-edge river rescue equipment.
Beyond hard skills, NOC Master Guide candidates are also trained in holistic leadership development, which includes facilitated group workshops led by current and former NOC staff. The curriculum includes risk management, natural resource conservation, interpretive best practices, and the psychology of the guest experience. Guest lecturers included Western Carolina University’s Dr. Windy Gordon, four-time Higgins & Langley-winner and director of NOC’s Search and Rescue Program Chief Tim Rogers, and former NOC Vice President and current American Whitewater Executive Director Mark Singleton.
Graduating Master Guides will return to all seven of the company’s river outposts to encourage and mentor other guides. Master Guides serve as peer leaders throughout the company to ensure high-quality performance both on and off the river.
NOC CEO Sutton Bacon explains, “since 1972 the NOC has been the home to the best guides and instructors in the whitewater industry. NOC now boasts a training and development program that rivals any in the outdoor industry, not just whitewater. Alongside other recent initiatives such as hosting world championship events, developing the next generation of competitive American paddlers and adding best-in-class search and rescue instruction, the Master Guide program demonstrates the type of innovative leadership that can only come from NOC.”
For more information on the Nantahala Outdoor Center and its Elite Master Guides training programs please visit their Web site at http://noc.com/
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