Level 1 Snowboard Instructor Course in with ESS in Nendaz

Snowboard instructor course in Nendaz with ESS

We are thrilled to offer a Level 1 snowboard instructor course in partnership with l’École Suisse de Ski et de Snowboard de Nendaz, also known as ESS Nendaz.

This course is your chance to experience a full winter season in one of Switzerland’s most exciting mountain regions while taking your first step into the world of snowboard instructing. In Nendaz, you will become part of a local alpine community, train alongside other motivated Snowminders, and get a real taste of what life as a snowboard instructor in the Swiss Alps is all about.

Based in the 4 Vallées, Nendaz gives you access to more than 410 km of slopes and a seasonal atmosphere that combines focused snowboard development with everyday life in a welcoming alpine village. During the program, you will work towards your Swiss Snowsports snowboard instructor qualification, improve your French, and gain experience in a professional Swiss snow school environment.

With the right attitude, professionalism, French language skills, and successful completion of the required steps, you may have the opportunity to continue your season in the classic red and white uniform of ESS Nendaz.

The snowboard instructor course and season in Nendaz

From the beginning of December, you’ll start your winter in Nendaz with our Level 1 snowboard instructor course in the heart of the Swiss 4 Vallées.

The course is designed to prepare you for the realities of working as a snowboard instructor in a French-speaking Swiss snow school environment, with training in both French and English throughout the winter.

Step by step, you’ll build the riding skills, confidence, and local understanding needed to grow into the instructor role. Through professional training, snow school orientation, French practice, and support from Snowminds, you will work towards your Swiss Snowsports Level 1 snowboard exam while preparing for a job opportunity at the snow school.

In short, Nendaz gives you the setup for a real Swiss winter: mountain life, snowboard development, new friends, local snow school culture, and a full season on the mountain.

The snowboard instructor life in Nendaz

Joining a snowboard instructor course in Nendaz is more than training for an exam. It is a full winter in the Swiss Alps, where riding, new friendships, local snow school life, and mountain routines quickly become part of your everyday life.

Nendaz has the feel of a real alpine village, with cosy cafés, local restaurants, mountain bars, and everything you need for a winter season close by. It is lively enough to give you a fun social season, but still small and personal enough that you quickly start recognising faces around town, at the lifts, and in the snow school.

Living in Nendaz also means being surrounded by the 4 Vallées every day. You can spend your time off exploring new slopes, watching sunsets over the Rhône Valley, or simply hanging out with your housemates after a day on the mountain. It is the kind of place where everyday life quickly becomes part snowboarding, part community, and part Swiss mountain adventure.

As the season develops, you will gain a better understanding of life as a snowboard instructor in Switzerland. From teaching children and beginners to working in a French-speaking environment, you will build confidence, responsibility, and international experience both on and off the slopes. By the end of the winter, Nendaz will be more than just your course destination. It will be the place where you trained, lived, worked towards your first snowboard instructor qualification, improved your French, made new friends, and created a season you will remember long after the snow has melted.

What is included in the snowboard instructor course in Nendaz?

In summary, we’ve got your epic season in the iconic 4 Valleys planned out, encompassing comprehensive training, shadowing, and ample work opportunities.

Here is the details for what we have included for you:

A level 1 snowboard instructor course in Nendaz with a job opportunity at Ecole Suisse de Ski de Nendaz
Around 5 months of shared season accommodation with the first month included*
Season lift pass covering +410km of slopes in the 4 Valleys ski resort **
Around +160 hours of professional French-English spoken snowboard training during the winter
The French-speaking Swiss Snowsports Level 1 exam, materials, and membership
A snowboard instructor job opportunity at the local Swiss ski school, Ecole Suisse de Ski de Nendaz ***
Ski school orientation, preparing you for life as an instructor
Snowminds Team leader and social events during the course and season
Pro-deals at Snowminds Store
Pre-season fitness program
Kick-off event before departure (online participation available)
Pre-departure guidance on packing, insurance, visa, etc., before, during, and after the season
Invitation to Snowminds Reunion after the winter season
24 hour emergency phone during the course and season
Travel protection with Snowminds Money Back Guarantee

What is not included?

Transportation to and from Nendaz, Switzerland
Housing deposit and rent for the full seasonal accommodation*
Insurance, taxes, and potential visa and local registration fees***
Equipment, meals, and anything else not mentioned above

* Snowminds offers arranged accommodation for the entire season, allowing you to avoid the hassle of finding it on your own and giving you the opportunity to live together with other Snowminders. The first month is included in the course package, and in most cases, you will be asked to pay the rent for the rest of the season at least 1 month before departure. The price for accommodation typically ranges between 800-1200 CHF per month. If you are interested in booking your own accommodation for the entire winter season, please contact us for a discounted course price.

** There is a 300 CHF surcharge on the lift ticket for people who are 24 years or older and/or a 300 CHF surcharge for people who sign up after September 20.

*** Employment at the ski school depends on successfully passing your interviews and exams, and your performance during training, including professionalism and French language skills.

**** Most work permits in Switzerland require you to also pay for mandatory Swiss health insurance, which must be paid in addition to the registration fee to be eligible to work. This varies depending on the canton, but is typically around 300 CHF a month for a full work permit. Sometimes, there are options to pay a daily rate for days worked instead. If you are not on a work permit and not working, then Switzerland requires you to pay a daily tourist tax instead. This is typically around 2.50 CHF a day, depending on your accommodation set up. If you are interested in reading more about work in Switzerland as a foreigner, we refer to the official Swiss government website.

Travel itinerary

Our Swiss Snowsports level 1 snowboard instructor course in Nendaz with ESS is perfectly designed for those looking to take a gap year, career break, or change in life, as well as those wanting the opportunity to develop as a snowboard instructor in Nendaz and the 4 Vallées in the Swiss Alps.

Below is an outline of our snowboard instructor training program with ESS in Nendaz, and how it typically could look:

Early December: Arrival in Nendaz with a welcome meeting and welcome dinner
Orientation day and welcome dinner in Nendaz
7 days of training with ESS Nendaz (in French and English)
2 days off
5 days of training with ESS Nendaz (in French and English)
Work, shadow or days off over Christmas, New Year and into January
5 days of training mid-end of January
Swiss Snowsports Level 1 snowboard instructor course end of January
End of January until mid/end of April: Work, shadow or days off

The program is approximate and can be subject to changes. The exact planning is made in accordance with the weather conditions during those weeks.

Application requirements

At Snowminds, we take pride in recruiting individuals with the right blend of skills and spirit to join our team of ski and snowboard instructors. The key to joining our ranks is a positive attitude, an outgoing personality, a sense of adventure, and a readiness to put in extra effort. With these qualities, you’re set to create unforgettable memories as a part of the Snowminds family.

To apply for this program, you should:

Feel comfortable snowboarding on most of the mountain
Speak fluent English and be conversational in French*
Be positive, responsible, and professional
Enjoy teaching and working with kids
Be 18 years or above
Be eligible to work in Switzerland from the end of November until the end of April

To secure your spot in our snowboard instructor course in Nendaz, please contact us or submit your application promptly. Subsequently, we will give you a call and schedule an interview to assess your suitability for the course, providing an opportunity for us to further cover the details about the Nendaz course and life as a snowboard instructor in Switzerland. Post-interview, we’ll communicate whether you’ve secured a position on our esteemed team.

Given the popularity of our snowboard instructor course in Verbier, we adopt a “first come, first serve” approach with periodic application deadlines each month. Hence, the sooner you apply, the higher your odds of joining our team and marking Verbier as your dream destination.

*To improve your French language skills before the course we highly recommend our online, tailor-made French course, which prepares you step-by-step for a season as a snowboard instructor in the Swiss Alps no matter which level you are currently at.

Key Details About the Course

JOB EXPECTATIONS

As your prospective employer, the ski school, not Snowminds, independently sets your work schedule, compensation, and other employment conditions. Consequently, your employment relationship is direct with the ski school, and we can’t guarantee specific conditions such as a minimum number of work hours. However, should you have any queries or concerns, we are always available to provide assistance.

As a fresh snow instructor, your primary responsibilities will involve supervising large groups of children, at times up to ten. This role can be challenging, requiring specific skills that you will acquire during your training. Working in this setting equips you with unique skills, such as class and time management as well as problem-solving.

ESS Nendaz anticipates that you bring a foundational knowledge of French to the course. Therefore we highly recommend our Snowminds online French course prior to departure.

WORKING HOURS

As a newly-educated instructor, one is typically on the “bottom of the food chain” regarding work. In other words, the more experienced instructors get first preference, but the more you show your passion and desire to work hard, the better. We highly recommend making the most of the busier peak periods in the ski school by showing your supervisors you are motivated to teach as many lessons as you can.

The busiest periods during the peak season are Christmas & New Year, February, and in some resorts Easter. It is common that you are booked for hours according to your language skills, social skills, and people skills. There are always opportunities to shadow lessons before teaching your first which can be a great way to show your enthusiasm and motivation to your ski school.

LANGUAGES

Our ski school partner prefers snowboard instructor candidates that can speak some French prior to arrival, and knowing some basic french can greatly improve your local experience. Language skills may be more valuable as the level of certification and some resorts even offer an hourly wage increase for every additional language you speak!

The more you practice the language spoken in your destination country before departure the better. This will help your integration and in general provide you with a better experience. We recommend using Duolingo to practice and ideally, we recommend taking a language course.

Our team has jointly done more than 100 seasons across the world and we know better than anyone what it is like to start working with a new language for the first time. Whilst it may seem confusing at first, we know that it is more than possible to pick up with a bit of practice. Other than normal language courses, the Snowlingo courses specifically focus on what you actually need when working as a ski or snowboard instructor. On our website, you can read more about it. Snowminds French language course

SALARY

In terms of financial expectations, let’s be clear: You do not get rich as a snowboard instructor, but the salary doesn’t get much better than in Switzerland!

With the Swiss Snowsports Kids Instructor certification in your hands, you should expect to earn around 27 CHF an hour at ESS Nendaz. If you obtain a higher certification this will improve.

As the volume of work can fluctuate, we advise having at least 2000 CHF in reserve to fully enjoy your season. The earnings and expenditures of our instructors differ significantly due to their diverse spending habits and personal budgets.

Additionally, there are occasional chances to augment your work hours within the resort during the winter season. These opportunities may arise in various mountain departments, such as ski equipment shops, recreational activities, and guest services.

ACCOMMODATION

In Nendaz, we have organized season housing, where you will live with others from the snowboard instructor course. Be aware that we have included the first month of accommodation in the package price and that you should expect to pay the rest of the season accommodation in full 1 month before departure. In Nendaz the accommodation typically ranges from 800-1200 CHF per month + a deposit.

Many ski schools in Switzerland do not include accommodation in the work contracts as they often work with a lot of local staff. Therefore, we work together with local accommodation partners to arrange good and fitting season housing for you. You’ll be in shared accommodation with (mostly) other Snowminds Instructors.

Before departure, you will be presented with the location of the season housing and a contract, which we will like you to read and sign. Please also be aware that a deposit should be paid to cover potential damages, missing items, cleaning, washing of bed linens, towels, and/or anything else that the landlord will have claims to after the lease. The remaining amount will be transferred back to you electronically after the season by Snowminds.

Working permit

To stay and work in Switzerland for the winter season you need to be an EU or EFTA citizen. (EFTA which consists of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). Although Switzerland is not a member of the EU, it is part of the EFTA and thus grants freedom of movement to those from EU/EFTA countries.

Nevertheless, you have to get a work permit while in Switzerland, before you start working at a ski school. Your ski school and your team leader will help you and advise you on the most suitable permit, which varies depending on the amount of work per month.

Your ski school will help you with paying the relevant fees to the registration office.

Mandatory Swiss Health insurance / Tourist tax
Most work permits in Switzerland require you to also pay for mandatory Swiss health insurance which must be paid in addition to the registration fee to be eligible to work.

If you are not on a work permit, and not working, then Switzerland requires you to pay a daily tourist tax instead. This is typically around 2.50-4.50 CHF a day, depending on your accommodation setup.

If you are interested in reading more about work in Switzerland as a foreigner, we refer to the official Swiss government website.

What our instructors say

Clay

Rated 5 out of 5

Amazing company/ friends! they will guide you through everything so good that you don’t have to worry too much. Amazing experience quickest weeks of my life!

Laura

Rated 5 out of 5

If you ever wish to become a ski instructor, Snowminds makes the journey a lot more easy and smooth for you. They have a lot of different options regarding both courses and countries, so you can chose what ever you’d like and be supported by snowminds the whole journey.

Rosa

Rated 5 out of 5

Snowminds is an amazing travel company, that helps every costumer in a personally and professionally way, that is suited just for you. They are always prepared to help you with your questions, requests and problems, if you have any. My experience with snowminds has honestly been the best costumer service I have ever received in my life. They take every single costumer serious and treats them as an important part of their snowminds family as soon as you sign up for an unforgettable experience. They provide guidance, safety and structure every step of the way, to make sure you get the best experience possible. The team leaders provide comfort and help from the moment you meet them, and makes sure everyone feels welcome and prepared for the journey. I am during a season in Switzerland, and my team leader, Julien, has truly been the best comfort and helping hand you can get. He always makes sure you are okay and have everything you need. He goes to the extra length to secure a good and safe environment for everyone, and is not only a guiding hand or model figure but also your friend from the moment you meet him. If you chose to travel with snowminds, will you not only get an unique and memorable experience, but you will become part of a family, that takes care of each other and makes sure everyday is filled with laughter, comfort, smiles and happiness. I would without a doubt recommend anyone who is thinking of during a ski season, to travel with snowminds, for an experience of a lifetime!

Amazing company/ friends! they will guide you through everything so good that you don’t have to worry too much. Amazing experience quickest weeks of my life!