Tourism and Hospitality Industry Training

The OCN NI Level 2 Award in Tour Guiding (QCF) qualification has been designed to provide the learner with skills in the travel and tourism industry to enable them to develop a tour commentary and lead groups on a guided tour.

Course assessment

The assessment method is a learner portfolio which is completed and submitted to cover 3 Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the role of the tour guide in the travel and tourism industry
2. Be able to produce a short tour commentary
3. Understand the health and safety implications of tour guiding

Learners are also required to produce and deliver a tour commentary to support the achievement of Learning Outcome 2.

To be considered eligible for this FREE training programme you will be required to confirm the following details in the attached application form:

Essential criteria

1. Resident in Mid and East Antrim. (Allowance for employees working for MEA tourism or hospitality businesses will be considered on an individual basis.)
2. Availability to attend all sessions – to qualify you will be required to confirm attendance at all 8 training sessions at 3 hours per week (dates and times outlined below – mainly evenings but a daytime FAM will be required and possibly some tour guide assessments during daylight hours). 

* As places are limited a space cannot be guaranteed and should the course be oversubscribed we may therefore need to apply a screening process. In the event of needing to allocate on this basis, participants will be assessed against the following additional criteria:

Desirable criteria

1. Reason for wanting to do the course.
2. Your tour guiding interests - please provide your ideas for a tour or areas of interest within your town or village i.e. history, heritage, food, myths and legends, architecture  - these will be explored further in the course and you won’t be held to them!
3. Any experience relevant to the tour guiding role.
4. How you intend to use these skills in the future.

* Please note:  priority will be given to residents from the Mid and East Antrim borough area, however should the course be undersubscribed employees resident outside the area but employed by a Mid & East Antrim tourism and hospitality business will be considered eligible.

You can also check out a recent video produced by Northern Regional College about the OCN NI Level 2 Tour Guiding course.

If you are interested in participating on this course please complete and return the attached application form by 5pm on Monday 14 August 2023 to tourism@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Course Details

Venue: 

The Braid Museum & Arts Centre, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena BT43 5EJ 

Dates & Times

To commence Monday 11 September 2023 primarily from 6pm – 9pm.*

End date Monday 6 November 2023

All sessions are mandatory to achieve this qualification i.e.

• Week 1: Monday 11 September 2023
• Week 2: Monday 18 September 2023
• Week 3: Monday 25 September 2023
• Week 4: Monday 2 October 2023
• Week 5:  Monday 9 October 2023 *
• Week 6: Monday 16 October 2023 *
• Week 7: Monday 23 October 2023 *
• Halloween break
• Week 8:  Monday 6 November 2023

* Please note: A FAM visit will be required during the day to replace an evening session or some tour guide assessments may need to take place during daylight hours but the tutor will work to accommodate participants closer to the time.