CERTIFICATE IN PARK GUIDING COURSE

INTRODUCTION
Under Regulation 8 of the National Parks and Nature Reserves Regulations, 1999, a park guide must possess a licence issued by the Controller of National Parks and Nature Reserves to provide guiding service in a national park or nature reserve. It also stipulates that no licence for a park guide shall be issued unless the Controller is satisfied that the person applying for such licence has undergone and successfully completed such courses and training as may be prescribed or approved by the Controller.

OBJECTIVES
The training programme under the Certificate Course is aimed at:

• enhancing the professionalism of park guides in the delivery of guiding services so that they will be able to provide high quality experiences to visitors in our parks.
• enabling park guides to understand conservation so that they can motivate tourists to appreciate environmental and biodiversity issues.
• enhancing the skill of park guides on the special nature of park guiding as a tool for conservation.
• inculcating best practice standards among park guides in relation to safety, interpretation, customer service, product promotion and park guide’s own leadership and presentation.
• assisting tour operators in identifying park guides possessing the relevant training and qualifications to conduct guiding services in national parks and nature reserves.

Those keen in taking up park guiding as a career must undergo and complete this intensive skill-training programme. The curriculum is specially tailored to meet the demands of providing guiding services in our national parks and nature reserves.

COURSE SYLLABUS
The course consists of 5 modules and requires a total of 49 classroom hours. Further, a total of 38 hours will be devoted to practical lessons in the field. There will also be assessments for both the classroom and practical components. Details are as in the following:

MODULE	CORE SYLLABUS	CLASSROOM	PRACTICAL
1	THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE ON TOURISM AND ECOTOURISM.	4 hours	Nil
2	TPAs AND BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT.	14 hours	4 hours
3	NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURE RESERVES AS TOURISM PRODUCTS.	19 hours	18 hours
4	RISK MANAGEMENT IN NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURE RESERVES.	8 hours	Nil
5	PRINCIPLES OF THEMATIC INTERPRETATION.	4 hours	16 hours
		49 hours (6.1 days)	38 hours (4.8 days)
	Assessment	2 hours	8 hours
	Grand Total Hours	51 hours (6.3 days)	46 hours (5.7 days)

Date of Course:	23 April – 09 May 2007
Venue:	UiTM Sarawak, Kota Samarahan Campus (Classroom sessions) Bako National Park (Practical sessions)
Course fee:	RM1,500.00 ( Payable upon registration )
	1.) UiTM Session   2.) Bako Session   Breakfast & lunch Tuition fees & course materials     Breakfast, lunch & dinner Tuition fees & course materials Accommodation Return trip from Bako Terminal to Bako National Park

As part of this licensing system, SARAWAK FORESTRY invites applications from interested persons to enroll in the Certificate in Park Guiding Course.

The requirements:

• The applicants must possess a Provisional Park Guide License.
• A person of good character, physically and medically fit to perform the duties of a park guide (Regulation 8[2]).
• In possession of at least “Sijil Rendah Pelajaran” (SRP) or “Penilaian Menengah Rendah” (PMR) certificate or equivalent.

Exemption from attending the course:
Applications are also invited from eligible candidates to apply for exemption from attending the aforesaid training course and only to sit for the assessment. Any park guide who feels that he/she has already acquired the relevant knowledge covered by the syllabus may apply for exemption from attending the training course, and sit for the assessment only.

The criteria for granting exemption are as follows:

• Applicants who hold valid Blue Badge (confirmed) Tour Guide License or Localised Nature Guide License (issued by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia) and with relevant guiding experience in national parks or nature reserves in the last 2 years and with proof of frequencies of guiding assignments to national parks or nature reserves in the form of logbook endorsed by his/her present or former employer(s), or
• Applicants who hold valid Blue Badge (confirmed) Tour Guide License or Localised Nature Guide License (issued by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia) with relevant guiding experience in national parks or nature reserves of less than 2 years but had been awarded recognition for excellent service in guiding by a government-related or non-governmental tourism agency, or
• Applicants who posses certificates of attendance obtained from Tourist Guide or Park Guide Trainings organized by the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism (formerly Ministry of Tourism, Sarawak) and with proof of relevant guiding experience in national parks or nature reserves in the last 2 years, or
• Applicants who have attended the Thematic Environmental Interpretation Course organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Sarawak in 2000 and with proof of relevant guiding experience in national parks or nature reserves in the last 2 years, or
• Applicants who have tertiary education or posses Certificate in Conservation and Ecotourism Management from Lincoln University (New Zealand) and with proof of continuous relevant guiding experience in national parks or nature reserves in the last 2 years.

Assessment fee: RM580

INTERESTED CANDIDATES ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT THEIR COMPLETE APPLICATION FORMS, INCLUDING THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TOGETHER WITH TWO COPIES OF RECENT PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOGRAPHS. THE APPLICATION FORM IS OBTAINABLE AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES. THE FORMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT ALL NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURE RESERVES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. PRACTISING PARK GUIDES WHO HOLD VALID PROVISIONAL PARK GUIDE LICENCE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

A PASS IN THE CERTIFICATE IN PARK GUIDING COURSE IS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING A FULL PARK GUIDE LICENCE.

THIS COURSE IS THE FIRST OF FIVE (5) TO BE CONDUCTED IN YEAR 2007. EACH COURSE WILL BE LIMITED TO 30 PARTICIPANTS ONLY.

KUCHING SARAWAK FORESTRY Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation Unit Level 11, Office Tower, Hock Lee Centre Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim 93450 Kuching Tel: 082-302311   Fax: 082-341550 Focal person: Mdm Lim Mong Tze OR Visitor Information Centre Sarawak Tourism Complex (Old Court House) Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg 93350 Kuching Tel: 082-248088   Fax: 082-248087 Focal person: Mr Zaini bin Jahidin BINTULU SARAWAK FORESTRY Bintulu Rgional Office Jalan Sultan Iskandar 97000 Bintulu Tel: 086-313726/339071 Fax: 086-313459 Focal Person: Ms Norliza Masuut

SIBU SARAWAK FORESTRY Sibu Regional Office Level 12 & 13, Wisma Sanyan No. 1, Jalan Sukan 96000 Sibu Tel: 084-344655 Fax: 084-337411 Focal person: Mohamed Reduan bin Mohamad Zen MIRI SARAWAK FORESTRY Miri Regional Office Protected Areas & Biodiversity Conservation Jalan Angsana, 98000 Miri Tel: 085-436637   Fax: 085-431975 Focal person: Hjh. Fatimah bt. Jol OR Visitor Information Center Lot 452, Jalan Melayu 98000 Miri Tel: 085-434184   Fax: 085-434179 Focal person: Ms Rubiah Bt. Wahet

Applications must be submitted to reach the following address not later than 4.00pm on 5 April 2007.

General Manager
Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation Unit
SARAWAK FORESTRY
Level 12, Office Tower, Hock Lee Centre, Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim,
93450 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Tel: 082 348001   Fax: 082 341550
Email: shirleyl@sarawakforestry.com