Life Saving Victoria offers swim teachers free licence renewal in June

Swim teachers are being offered the opportunity to renew their Swim Teaching Licence with Life Saving Victoria for free throughout the month of June.

This initiative follows a significant increase in the Victorian drowning toll during 2020-21 and a swim teacher shortage across the state, after many teachers were stood down, derostered, terminated or sought work elsewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this challenging period, approximately two thirds of aquatic industry employees were stood down as the state government mandated site closures and ongoing social distancing requirements, which impacted the delivery of swimming and water safety lessons to local communities.

Of the one third of employees not stood down, these were predominantly senior or management staff, not the swim teacher workforce.

LSV Manager – Learn to Swim, Michelle Ling notes “with a record 53 drownings in Victoria between 1st July 2020 and 22nd April 2021, LSV is concerned that the current swimming lesson and swim teacher shortage within Victoria could impact future drowning and other aquatic related injury rates.

“LSV are assisting the industry to retain staff by offering swim teachers the opportunity to renew their Swim Teaching Licence with LSV for free throughout the month of June to mitigate this risk.

“Swim teachers qualified through LSV receive a range of benefits, including free CPR courses, a 50% discount on First Aid courses and access to ongoing professional development.

To find out more about renewing Swim Teaching Licence this June, visit lsv.com.au/swim-teacher/