NZ Cert Outdoor Leadership Level 4 Strands + NZOIA Leader
AdventureWorks has a dedicated online learning platform designed to support your development as an outdoor instructor and preparation for qualification assessment.
AdventureWorks has an agreement with New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association NZOIA. Completing Level 4 or 5 Leader qualification you will gain the equivalent NZOIA Leader or 1 qualification, plus the current years Registered Membership.

Overview
Scope
This qualification will enable you to operate independently under indirect supervision, and lead participants in a specific outdoor activity, emphasising safety, in low technical yet dynamic outdoor environments.
Strands
- Bush strand
- Mountain Biking strand
- High Ropes strand
- High Wire Strand
- Sea Kayaking strand
- Flat Water Kayak Strand
- Rock Climbing strand
- Abseil strand
- EOTC strand
About This Qualification
Who is this for?
This course is designed to meet the needs of people that have gained personal leadership experience in the Strand, and have logged evidence for this. Candidates for this course are likely to be working or volunteering in a workplace and ready to have their personal experience and skills recognised with a qualification.
Why this Qualification?
Level 4 outdoor instructor qualifications are equivalent to NZOIA Leader level instructor award. This qualification verifies technical skill, leadership experience and ability to manage and respond to risks and hazards in low risk environments. You are able to lead independently under indirect supervision and understand how to apply an organisation safety management system
Why AdventureWorks?
We provide fully supported teaching, training and assessment. Your progress through this qualification will be monitored and supported by a dedicated team including a tutor, specialist instructors, and an Adventure Works academic manager.
How this will benefit you
- You do not have easy access to training
- Are in a workplace where the means for the workplace to deliver training and assessment are limited
- Are working and also wanting to develop professional qualifications in this sector.
Learning happens in a group, if the content is being covered is familiar you will still benefit hugely from the discussions and peer learning that occurs
Benefits to a workplace/organisation
- Candidates in the qualification are fully supported independent of your own resources and capacity to provide training and assessment
- Candidates receive current industry best practice training which will reflect positively on your organisation’s overall operation
- The overall cost to the organisation including training and managing assessment are reduced
- The workplace can enrol as many candidates as they would like and are not limited by their own resources
Programme Structure
Time commitment
- 3 day skills workshop (overnight)
- 1-2 Day skills and leadership assessment
- Weekly self directed and tutor supported learning
The qualification has two sections
- Section 1 Instructor Fundamentals Online - 50% of total qualification
- Section 2 Strand - 50% of total qualification
The Instructor Fundamentals component only has to be completed once for each qualification. When you enroll in the first qualification you will complete this along with one strand.
Instructor Fundamentals
The Instructor Fundamentals makeup for half of the qualification credits.
The Instructor Fundamentals courses develop understanding of foundation skills for being an instructor and leader in outdoor adventure activities. These courses cover how to teach and facilitate learning from others, the role of the leader and leadership theory, safety management systems, planning, understanding of activity regulations and scope of the qualification.
Strands
Strands focus on personal skills, instructing skills and planning for a single strand. You will need to demonstrate skills for managing personal safety and responding to rescues and lead a group within the scope of the qualification.
Assessment
Task 1
- Instructor Fundamentals Questions and Answers
Task 2
- Prepare a leadership plan for the activity you are enrolled in
Task 3
- Attend personal and leadership skills workshop
Tasks 4 and 5
- Complete personal and leadership skills assessment
Task 6
- Self-evaluation
Assessment Principles
Assessments are competency-based. Assessment decisions are made after evidence is gathered and assessed against a standard of competence.
The standard of competence is defined by NZQA in the qualification document.
Our assessment decisions are moderated to ensure candidates are meeting the standard of competence required across all of the assessment tasks in the qualification and that the assessment decision being made is maintaining a consistent and reliable qualification.
Enrolment Pathway
PRE-ENROLMENT
- Do you have the pre-requisite personal skills and leadership experience required for this qualification?
- Are you a NZ permanent resident or citizen?
- Do you have a group you can practice your leadership skills with during the qualification?
- Can you attend the three-day training and 1-2 day assessment?
- Can you participate in evening tutorials online?
ENROLMENT
- Submit log book or other evidence of previous personal skills and leadership experience.
- Submit evidence of NZ citizenship or residency
- We will create your NZOIA membership (you do need to do this)
COURSE ALLOCATION
When we receive your enrolment form, we will contact you to confirm dates and groups coming up
General Entry Criteria
Category 1 provider

Qualworks Safety Audit
