Page 38 - 87099_NSAA_ JournalSpring2019_Online File2_Neat

Is It Time for an International

Exchange Program for

Ski Instructors?

By Dave Byrd, NSAA Director of Risk & Regulatory Affairs

hen the National Ski Patrol (NSP) created interna- instructor from France or Italy spends a season at American
Wtional patrol exchanges in 1994 under the US State ski resorts, it also tends to attract other friends and families
Department’s J-1 visa “specialist” program, bringing over of these instructors to visit them in the US. And, the resulting
European ski patrollers to US ski areas, it created a tre- benefit of all this is the boon in international tourism to ski
mendous educational opportunity that benefits the overall areas and local rural economies.
American ski industry. The best practices of ski patrolling Why aren’t we doing this already? As it turns out, years
in Europe are shared with ski patrols in America, improving ago US ski areas used the H-2b visa program—administered
the overall quality of care for our guests in terms of medical through the US Department of Labor—to authorize work
assistance, on-mountain transport, avalanche mitigation, visas for European ski instructors to work at American ski ©2018 accesso Technology Group, plc
and overall mountain safety. And American patrol best prac- areas. Even today, especially at many destination ski areas,
tices likewise raise the overall European standard of care at there are not as many Level II or Level III ski instructors in
ski areas across the pond. the US to meet demand for highly skilled private lessons.
Given the overwhelming success of NSP’s interna- Despite the labor benefits that the H2-b visa program
tional patrol exchange program, the US ski industry should provided, however, more than a decade ago it became
rally to create a similar specialist program for highly bogged down in partisan in-fighting and over-regulation
certified ski instructors, who, like ski patrollers, come to (including adding enormous expenses and complicated
the US from around the world to share their best practices regulations intentionally designed by opponents to dis-
with American ski schools and students. Under such a courage the use of foreign workers by American employers).
proposal, ski instructors from Europe, Asia, Australia, and Moreover, the hot American economy and demand for
South America would be authorized to work at US ski areas labor has eaten up the limited overall number of H-2b visas
through a similar J-1 visa specialist program. available to all businesses vying for foreign labor visas,
There are compelling incentives for developing especially in rural areas, where labor is very difficult to find.
international instructor exchanges through the J-1 visa There has long been a tight cap on the number of workers
specialist program. The give-and-take of knowledge, tech- who can come to the US under the H-2b visa program,
nique, motivation, and perspective would be enriching for which limits the availability of these work visas.
American ski instructors, translating to a better experience For now, Congress appears unlikely to address the
for their guests. Most of these international instructors problems with the H-2b visa program—and even though
would be highly skilled—comparable with our Level II or President Trump’s own private resorts like Mar-a-Lago
III PSIA-AASI certifications—providing ski areas with a more and Trump hotels use a high number of H-2b visa workers,
diverse option of instruction talent, and high-level teach- his own administration is preventing desperately needed
ing from the best ski instructors in the world, no matter changes to the H-2b foreign work visa program.
their nationality. That is why there is such a compelling argument for
European and other international instructors also a limited ski instructor international exchange program,
bring foreign language skills (and are often multi-lingual), created through the State Department’s J-1 visa specialist
a benefit to international guests visiting US destination category as part of a broader international educational and Your guests are unique. So is your business.
resorts who want instruction taught in their native tongues. cultural exchange initiative. Indeed, the J-1 visa program That's why you should be with a partner who gets you.
Not only that, as with NSP’s foreign exchange program with was specifically created by Congress in the early 1960s as
patrollers, a related program for international ski instructors a cultural and educational program designed to improve At accesso, we’re more than technology and innovation. We’re the powder day buddy
under the J-1 visa would allow these high-level foreign international relations and introduce foreign workers to for your snow-obsessed sta , with experience and dedication to help you conquer the
instructors to bring their immediate families. When an the American business community. steepest challenges.

To learn more visit accesso.com.
36 | NSAA JOURNAL | SPRING 2019