Bushcraft Competency Award

An assessed award covering bushcraft skills and knowledge. that demonstrates an appropriate level of personal competence for instructors & Practitioners working in outdoor centres or schools and delivering bushcraft skills sessions.

• Covers five bushcraft units - edged tools – knives & saws; fire; water; tarp shelters & knots; campfire cooking.
• Designed to demonstrate personal competence for the outdoor learning workforce including FE/HE students, apprentices, instructors, teachers, leaders, etc.
• Suitable for a wide range of people working or volunteering in formal or non-formal settings such as early years, schools, colleges, outdoor centres, education centres, wildlife trusts, national parks, youth and voluntary organisations, etc.
• Consists of a high quality training course, a period of consolidated experience, followed by assessment of bushcraft competence with certification by the IOL Awards Centre.

 

Training Courses

• Open to all with an interest in passing bushcraft skills and knowledge on to others.
• 16 guided learning hours (GLH) over 2 days. Delivered by IOL Accredited Bushcraft Competency Course Providers.

Cost set by the Accredited Course Provider.

Find a Bushcraft Competency Award Training Course

NOTE: This course was launched in November 2021 and the first Bushcraft Training providers are going though the approval process with IOL and the Bushcraft PPG. Watch the IOL Bushcraft Training Events page and the IOL Bushcraft Facebook page to find out when the first courses are available.

Consolidation Period and Logbook

Assessment for the Bushcraft Competency Award (BCA) requires a completed Bushcraft Competency Logbook demonstrating 60 quality hours of consolidated bushcraft experience.
Supporting evidence should include a mix of guided learning, self-learning, reflective practice, instructing/teaching, mentoring, etc.
IOL encourages candidates to submit a digital logbook of their required experience. Download in Word or PDF format and when completed, email to Fiona at IOL, no less than 10 days prior to your assessment, who will notify your Assessor.

Assessment Course

4 guided learning hours (GLH) over 1/2 day. Award assessment courses are arranged by IOL with Bushcraft PPG Approved Bushcraft Assessors.
Skilled and knowledgeable bushcraft practitioners can go straight to assessment with a completed logbook of experience.

Is the Bushcraft Competency Award for you?

Achieving the Bushcraft Competency Award demonstrates you follow good practice and have a high level of safety and competency in five bushcraft units.

Statement of Good Practice in Bushcraft Competence

The IOL Bushcraft Specialist Sector Group (SSG) has a long-standing reputation for quality and innovation within the field of Bushcraft . They recognise the need for instructors, teachers and leaders to demonstrate that they have a basic level of safe and competent bushcraft skills and are following recommended good practice.

The Statement of Good Practice in Bushcraft Competence is designed to assist and support practitioners to learn and develop bushcraft skills, and to demonstrate their skills and competencies in bushcraft. It is a valuable guide for those involved in educating, training, and assessing the competence of instructors, teachers and leaders in bushcraft.