Developing our people
Surf Life Saving Queensland, we strive to help our members become the best they can be, both on and off the beach. Our goal is to develop skills that support their personal growth and community involvement. To achieve this, we offer a wide range of programs tailored to all levels and backgrounds.
We continuously develop and monitor these programs to ensure they meet the needs of our amazing Members.
Below, you’ll find a list of our current programs designed to nurture and inspire everyone in our community.
- Youth Excellence Program
- Leadership Excellence Program
- Lifesaving Development Program
- Advanced Lifesaving Development Program
- Mentoring Program
- Volunteer Leadership Program
youth excellence program (YEP)
Dates: 5 – 7 October 2024
Location: Moves to various Branches – 2024 program to be held Maranatha Boulder Creek, Sunshine Coast
Target Audience: 15–17 year olds
Objectives:
- For young, like-minded surf lifesavers to come together, have fun and create lifelong connections
- To introduce participants to the various pathways within the organisation and enhance their contributions to the wider community
- To develop teamwork and communication skills, while inspiring the future leaders of the organisation
Overview:
YEP provides an opportunity for youth Members to be exposed to the many different elements lifesaving offers. It is designed to provide youth with knowledge, and experience and allows them to develop skills in a wide range of activities in an enjoyable and stimulating environment. The program is structured to develop maximum participation, confidence and leadership in all participants. It also aims to introduce the participants to the more formal and responsible roles of Surf Life Saving such as patrol captaincy, responsibilities of positions, and future pathways.
Leadership Excellence Program (LEP)
Dates: 5 – 8 December 2024
Location: University of Queensland, Saint Leo’s College, St Lucia
Target Audience: 18 years and above
Objectives:
- To develop inspired and resilient leaders
- To create agents of change
- To enhance leadership capability to manage uncertain, emerging, and future challenges
Overview:
LEP provides an opportunity for Members to gain the knowledge and skills to advance as a leader within Surf Life Saving. This program is a key part of SLSQ’s retention and succession strategy to ensure a strong and vibrant future for the organisation. Participants will network with fellow surf lifesavers and participate in fun activities, develop leadership qualities and learn transferable skills.
lifesaving development program (LDP)
Dates: 7 – 13 April 2025 & 30 June – 6 July 2025
Location: Two program each year, SE Qld program rotates between Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast and norther program held on Magnetic Island. 2025 programs to be held at Apex Camps (Sunshine Coast & Magnetic Island)
Target Audience: 16 – 20 years old
Objectives:
- Ensure high quality and enjoyable delivery of core learning experiences to youth members through the delivery of consistent high-quality training
- Provide Surf Life Saving Clubs with highly skilled and qualified Members
- Ensure excellence in service delivery between the red and yellow flags
- Allow networking opportunities for youth Members from across the state
- Identifying next generation leaders/operations support personnel
- Retain youth Members through age specific training
Overview:
LDP is an education program that allows Members to gain a number of lifesaving Awards in a short space of time. A significant component of the training is delivered through scenarios providing a high impact on participant’s skill development and teamwork abilities. Program participants will gain a number of Awards including First Aid, Advanced Resuscitation Techniques and IRB Crewperson OR Silver Medallion IRB Driver. Participants will also be exposed to additional skills and development opportunities including pathways, teamwork, leadership and lifesaving operations.
Advanced Lifesaving Development Program (ALDP)
Dates: 2 – 5 May 2025 (TBC)
Location: TBC
Target Audience: 18 years and above
Objectives:
- Increase SLSQ’s frontline services and volunteer capabilities to respond to critical incidents by educating Members around incident management
- Provide an accessible pathway to operations support and develop better Patrol Captains through the development of both technical proficiency, tactical leadership and non-technical skills such as communication, leadership, operational debriefing and documentation
- Expert-led sessions that enable organisational knowledge sharing to improve outcomes of SLSQ incidents and SARs
- Enhanced surge capability in times of disaster or emergency through skilled volunteers
- Growing a deep and intuitive base of white-water experience and skills
Overview:
ALDP is designed for more than just gaining an Award. With the goal of creating future leaders in the operations space, participants will learn incident management and be expected to act as incident controllers and Members within the response team. Participants will also be exposed to additional skills and development opportunities including pathways, teamwork, leadership, and lifesaving operations.
Mentoring Program
Dates: September to October annually
Location: Online
Target Audience: Club, Branch and State position holders especially those with less than two years’ experience in their role
Objectives:
- Provide support to new leaders and reduce turnover
- Develop capable, confident and strong leaders
- Provide leadership development opportunities for both mentors and mentees
- Build more sustainable Clubs through positive leadership
Overview:
This 12-month program is aimed at Members who are in their first couple of years of a Club or Branch role - the program will link new position holders with experienced volunteers from across the state. A mentoring relationship can offer you fresh perspectives, actionable advice specific to your role, and constructive feedback that can accelerate your development making you feel more confident in your role. It’s also a chance to refine your skills, build confidence, and expand your network, which can open doors to new opportunities.
Volunteer Leadership Program
Dates: Year-Round
Location: Online
Target Audience: Current and emerging leaders at all levels
Overview:
This online learning program is designed for all Surf Life Saving leaders, no matter their experience or role. If you want to learn to inspire, retain and engage volunteers while honing your interpersonal skills, then this is the course for you! This training is the corner stone for all Club leaders including age managers, trainers, assessors, Patrol Captains and position holders. A simple online course that sets the foundation for leaders across the organisation.
To enrol, head to your SLSA Members Portal account and click eLearning. Once directed to our SLSQ Hub, click on the ‘Courses’ button and scroll until you reach the ‘Volunteer Leadership Online Module’ and click ENROL – it’s that easy.
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