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Become a Ski Instructor in New Zealand - Training Included

Contact ProviderProgram Costs
VerifiedProvider
3.5 / 5Student rating
6Reviews
8Programs
2005Year established

Program Overview

EA Ski and Snowboard Training is looking for skiers to join us in New Zealand on a winter gap year. If you love the outdoors, travel, and have a passion for skiing, then this ski instructor internship program is for you. What is the ski instructor internship program? The internship is a course designed to set you up as a ski instructor within a single season. You'll train, qualify, and work as a ski instructor - all in one season. Afterward, you are guaranteed a paid job offer after qualifying as a ski instructor. Choose from 5 world-class ski resorts across New Zealand to train and work at this winter. You'll train with the best, gain an internationally recognized instructor qualification, and get work experience for your CV. The courses are open to any intermediate to advanced skier eligible to work in New Zealand, including working holiday visa holders! Apply today to see if you qualify!

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Program Highlights

Get paid to do what you love everyday!
Meet like-minded snow bunnies from all over the world.
Gain an internationally recognized ski instructor qualification.
Receive world-class ski instructor training in breathtaking New Zealand.
Live and explore in the adventure capital of New Zealand.

What's Included

Tuition & Fees
Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
All Program Activity Costs
Airport Transfer (Drop-Off)
Airport Transfer (Pick-Up)
Job Placement

Quick Details

Location
Central Otago, New Zealand
Availability
Year(s) Offered:2026, 2027
Intern Duration:
  • Winter
  • 1-3 Months
Age Requirement18+
Types & Subjects
Fields:
  • Ski Resort
  • Tourism
Types:
  • Adventure Travel
  • Jobs
  • Ski Instructor
  • Sports
  • Working Holiday
GuidelinesAll Nationalities
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Updated Apr 22, 2026

Program Details

Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know

Locations

  • Central Otago, New Zealand

Available Terms / Availability

  • Years Offered: 2026, 2027
  • Intern Duration: Winter, 1-3 Months
  • Gap Year Timing: After College, Career Break / Mid-Career, During College, Post High School

Eligible Nationalities

  • All Nationalities

Education Levels & Language

  • Language: English
  • Any/All Education Levels Accepted

Accommodation Options

  • Other

Application Procedures

  • Phone/Video Interview

Age Requirement

18+

Duration

Winter, 1-3 Months

Salary & Compensation

Competitive salary + tips

Program Reviews

Hear what past participants have to say about EA Ski and Snowboard Training

3.5
6 reviews

Rating breakdown

5
2
4
2
3
0
2
1
1
1

Top categories

Living Situation
3.5
Program Administration
3.0
Health & Safety
2.8
Social Life
2.7
Internship Placement
2.0
Work Environment
1.7

Participated in this program? Share your experience now.

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Showing 6 of 6 reviews

Allie BurkeUnited States · December 2023

Best thing I’ve ever done

This program was the most rewarding, fulfilling, and enjoyable thing I’ve ever done in my life. From the day, I landed in New Zealand to the day that I left, everyone was welcoming, helpful and encouraging. I went through training with a group of other young adults who were super friendly and cool, and then we all got jobs together as ski instructors. We became really close over the course of the season, and I still consider them to be some of my closest friends. I never would have been able to move across the world and pursue this dream of mine, had it not been for EA. I never would’ve met some of my favorite people, never would’ve gotten to experience the tight-knit community on the mountain, and never would’ve experienced the personal growth and development that have made me who I am today. I always recommend this program to everyone I talk to and, if I could, I’d do it all again.

Photos

Response from provider

Hi Allie, thank you for making us smile with your kind words. It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the program and have formed lasting friendships with other participants. Your journey of personal growth and development is inspiring, we're honoured to have helped you follow your dreams. We can’t thank you enough for encouraging others to experience this opportunity too. -The EA Team.

Stefanie StuessiSwitzerland · December 2023

a season full of great SKI VIBES

I had the best time in Queenstown! I met so many new friends from around the world, we had great night outs and so much fun. We had an well organized training and already signed up for a next winter season.

Photos

Response from provider

Thanks for joining EA for an epic season in Queenstown Stefanie! It’s very exciting to hear that you are pursuing another winter, we look forward to watching the continuation of your snow sports pursuits. -The EA Team

Mark RobinsonAustralia · June 2021

They changed location and course then kept $5000

I booked Internship plus Queenstown 2021 in Feb 2020, paid $5000 au deposit. In March 2021 EA contacted us stating they would not be running the course at Queenstown, we had to attend Mt Hutt, and only the internship was on offer not the plus program. This was unacceptable so we tried to get a refund. The small print states EA can change ski resort and not offer the course you paid for. So they filled our spot and kept our $5000 dollars. Be very careful giving these guy your money.

Response from provider

Thank you for your review and feedback. It is unfortunate that our Internship Program could not run in Queenstown this winter. Everyone affected has been offered the option of transferring to an alternative location in New Zealand this winter. Also - under our Covid-19 deferral policy we have offered a free deferral to a future season or program in New Zealand or any of our international locations.<br/> <br/>In general this has been well received but we appreciate that you feel we are taking a tough line by sticking to our terms and conditions. Covid-19 has caused significant disruption to our business. Our deferral policy was developed to provide as much flexibility as possible while still allowing us the ability to operate with certainty going forward.

Allison WegnerUnited States · June 2020

Lost my program and money

I found this program back in 2018 and the interview process was very simple. The rep I worked with was extremely responsive and helpful. Because of my job and time for a sabbatical, I signed up for the Mt. Ruapehu New Zealand 2020 season.The real problem started as COVID hit in March. The communication dropped off and I was left in the dark on the status of my program that was scheduled to start in June. I understand the delays and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. However, I was constantly requesting information because my rep seemed disengaged with the situation. I was sent a purposefully confusing email at the end of May, also telling me my rep had left the company. After a week of emails, I finally heard my program was cancelled and I would receive no refund. I was told I could transfer $4,000 to another program and would lose the other $2,000. As I mentioned previously, because of my job I am unable to transfer to another program during a different season. The company also had altered their terms and conditions document from when I signed back in July 2019. Now, EA has a different policy for COVID and delaying programs where you don't lose $2,000 for preparation costs. The company's run around responses and diminished communication leaves me feeling hopeless about ever seeing my money again. I wanted to share my experience because I know it is similar to many others in my program as we are all demanding refunds. I feel it is important for future applicants to understand EA's actions and lack of understanding during COVID.

Response from provider

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Allison.<br/><br/>We were pleased to hear your initial experience with our team was positive. It is unfortunate your travel plans were affected by COVID-19 and that you were unable do the program at Mt Ruapehu. It has been a challenging time. The travel industry in particular has been hard hit and we appreciate it has been extremely frustrating for you. In the early stages of this crisis we were hopeful of being able to run our program at Mt Ruapehu and our operations team was in touch with everyone affected as a group. We apologise and understand that our communication was not as good as it could have been. Our team has been on reduced hours due to lockdown restrictions and at times we simply did not have the answers to know what we could and couldn’t do. Alex who you were dealing with decided to take another job opportunity but the remainder of our team is still with us and we are doing our best to retain all our staff. Ultimately we want to do the best for our clients and be here on the other side of this also.<br/><br/>As you note we have updated our standard terms and conditions. This has been to allow more flexibility for those now booking Northern Hemisphere programs due to government-sanctioned travel bans.<br/><br/>We have a number of people in a similar position to you and are doing our best to offer alternative program options. EA has been operating since 2005 and we want to ensure we are here for many years to come. We start planning our programs months in advance and operations, along with overheads and commitments to suppliers, have meant we have not been able to offer a cash refund. We have gone above and beyond the requirements of our terms and conditions to offer as much as possible in way of credits towards a future program along with additional credit as a gesture of goodwill to ensure losses to clients are minimised. We appreciate that for some, being able to do a program at a future date is not an option and we encourage you and anyone else affected to continue communicating and working with us.<br/><br/>Thanks again for your thoughts and feedback.

AaronFrance · November 2019

Busy, but a lot of fun!

My season with EA was busy but a lot of fun, we were constantly doing something be it training, work, exams or drinking. We had great instructors who managed to get me through all my exams and made me a much better skier. My favorite part of the season and also my favorite part of being an instructor was all the crazy people I met throughout these few months some of whom I'll be seeing for my next season in Japan.

AnonymousAustralia · December 2017

Best six months of your life !

Looking for something thats fun, exciting and gives you some life skills ? Then this program is for you it is honestly going to be the best six months of your life ! We were provided with some of the best accommodation on the mountain and great support and training I can't recommend it enough !

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