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Frequently Asked Questions Thinking of becoming a guide 1. What do I get out of being a Semakau guide? 2. What does it take to be a Semakau guide? 3. I don't know anything about Semakau. So how? How to sign up 4. When can I sign up to be a Semakau guide? 5. How do I sign up to be a Semakau guide? Training to become a guide 6. What is the philosophy behind OJT training at Semakau? 7. What will I learn during OJT training? 8. What will I NOT learn during OJT? 9. What are the two kinds of training dates? 10. What is the difference between OJT training during public walks and during off-public walks? 11. Do I have to do off-public walks before I do public walks? 12. How soon must I finish the 6 OJT training sessions? 13. What happens after I finish the 6 OJT training sessions? 14. I am already a diver/biologist/experienced guide. Do I have to go for OJT? 15. How do I sign up for public walk OJT? 16. How do I sign up for off-public walk OJT? 17. Will there be any other kind of training? Your first time coming for a training session 18. Where is West Coast Pier? What kind of boat will we be using? How long is the boat journey to Semakau? 19. Why must I be punctual? 20. What must I prepare? What should I wear? 21. Will training/public walk be cancelled if it rains? After training: What happens after I finish the 6 OJT training sessions? 22. Am I required to commit to a certain number of guiding dates? 23. When are the guiding dates? 24. Can I bring my friends or family along during training?
3. I don't know anything about Semakau. So how? It doesn't matter if you never took science or know nothing about the intertidal zone. Visitors come to see Semakau and appreciate nature and not to hear a science lecture. For visitors, the most enjoyable and meaningful walk is one conducted by a passionate guide. Experienced guides will help you develop your own guiding style and content. The only requirement is the desire to learn and commitment to pass on what you learnt. How to sign up 4. When can I sign up to be a guide? Now! As training is done on-the-job, you don't have to wait for a training cycle or have to stick to a formal training schedule. Simply sign up and turn up for the dates that best suit your schedule. 5. How do I sign up? Simple! Just email Ria Tan hello@wildsingapore.com Training to become a guide 6. What is the philosophy behind OJT training on Semakau? The On-the-Job (OJT) system of training is designed to allow volunteers to get their training in a flexible manner that suits the volunteer's schedule, as well as the schedule of the volunteer trainers. We feel you should be able to guide on your own after you join 6 On-the-Job (OJT) sessions accompanying experienced guides. 7. What will I learn during OJT training? Just as you would in a new job, during the OJT sessions, the experienced guides will share with you tips on guiding effectively. They will also explain processes and procedures. Do ask them questions so that you can get the information that you need. 8. What will I NOT learn during OJT training? The experienced guides will NOT provide you training in content. You will be expected to develop the content of your guided walk on your own. Use the on-line information on wildsingapore, the Chek Jawa Guidebook and other resources on our seashores. Gather the stories you hear the experienced guides use. The experienced guides will always be at hand to help out new guides. 9. What are the two kinds of training dates? (a) You may join an experienced guide during public walks on Semakau. The current public walk dates are listed on the RMBR website. (b) You may join an experienced guide during an off-public guides-only training walk. These walks may be held on other shores besides Semakau, for example, at Labrador or Sentosa. All Semakau walks (public and off-public) are held during suitable low spring tides during daylight hours (0700-1900hrs). These do not necessarily fall on a weekend. 10. What is the difference between OJT training during public walks and during off-public walks? During public walks, you will join an experienced guide at work with real live members of the public. This is an opportunity to observe and learn how to conduct a fun and effective tour. You will also learn the route and the procedures for such a walk. During off-public walks, you will join an experienced guide for a longer trip. A more leisurely trip, there will be more time to ask questions and learn more about Semakau. 11. Do I have to do off-public walks before I do public walks? No. You can do either type of walks. But you should do at least one public walk before you guide, so you understand the route and the procedures. 12. How soon must I finish the 6 OJT training sessions? There is no time limit for completing the 6 guiding dates, but regular guides find if we do not guide regularly, we lose touch. So to keep the joy and fun of guiding, it's ideal to guide at least once a month. Of course, we hope the experience will be so enjoyable that you will guide for the long term :- 13. What happens after I finish the 6 OJT training sessions? After the 6 sessions, you will be asked to do an open-book written test which you can submit via email. During your OJTs, you will also be assessed by the experienced guides. These assessments will be considered before you are put on the regular guiding roster as a full-fledged guide. 14. I am already a diver/biologist/experienced guide. Do I have to go for OJT? A good guide is able to show visitors interesting things. A good guide knows the safety and other procedures to ensure a smooth visit. Your prior knowledge will be a great asset, but we recommend you join at least one public walk OJT to familiarise yourself with the procedures. Semakau is a unique site with a wide variety of ecosystems, some of them may not be familiar to even seasoned divers. An off-public walk OJT will allow you to familiarise yourself with it. Thus we recommend at least one public and one off-public walk OJT. 15. How do I sign up for public walk OJT? Once you sign up to be a volunteer guide, you will be put on a mailing list for dates for the off-public OJT walks. Sign up procedures will be outlined in the these emails. 16. How do I sign up for off-public walk OJT? Once you sign up to be a volunteer guide, you will be put on a mailing list for dates for the off-public OJT walks. Sign up procedures will be outlined in the these emails. 17. Will there be any other kind of training? Formal classroom sessions will be held once a year for all guides. During these sessions, guides can develop their content further and gain a deeper understanding of Semakau. The first formal classroom sessions are scheduled for Sep-Oct 05 Your first time coming for a training session 18. Where is West Coast Pier? What kind of boat will we be using? How long is the boat journey to Semakau? More details. 19. Why must I be punctual? Tide and time waits for no man. 20. What must I prepare for an OJT walk? A good guide must be able to look after the visitors. You must look after yourself before you can look after others. See the prep list for details. 21. Will training/public walk be cancelled if it rains? Walks go on regardless of weather. We only cancel as a last resort. Walks are stopped only when there is lightning and/or heavy rain. If the weather is bad, we usually wait until it clears. Of course if by then the tide has come in, we cancel. After training 22. Am I required to commit to a certain number of guiding dates? As volunteer trainers have invested time in you, it would be nice if you repaid the effort with commitment to regular guiding at Semakau, at least 6 guiding dates. But we hope your experience guiding will be so much fun that you will guide for the longer term. 23. When are the guiding dates? Public walks on Semakau are held during suitable low spring tides during daylight hours. These do not necessarily fall on a weekend. After becoming a guide, you are of course most welcome to join in off-public walks to help train new guides. 24. Can I bring my friends or family along during training? Training is a time when you should focus on learning. It will not be possible for you to give attention to your friends/family during training and learn effectively at the same time. Thus your friends and family are unlikely to have an enjoyable visit. As such, we regret you cannot bring your friends/family when you are training to be a Semakau guide. To sign up for the Sep-Oct 05 formal training, email Ria before 19 Aug 05 |
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