In reply to BradleyWhite:
Hi, this is an email I sent back in 2011. Bit of a quick one but you get the idea....
Hi,
I am after some clarification on what qualifications are recognised in America and was hoping you guys could help me. Is the British Single Pitch Award credited from the British Mountaineering Council recognised? Also I know its not climbing but are you aware of any coaching quals credited by the British Canoe Union? Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Luke.
This is the reply...
Luke:
Thanks for your interest in the AMGA.
At this time we do not have a reciprocity agreement with the BMC. However, the AMGA SPI is built around the curriculum of the British SP Award, so it would seem that the two organizations should begin discussing reciprocity. I will add this to my list of tasks for the Board of Directors meetings coming up in October. In the meantime, what a couple of other ex-pats have done to get their AMGA SPI Certification by taking the 2-day SPI Assessment. Normally it is a complex process getting an exemption from taking the SPI course and going straight to the assessment, but with the British SPA, a copy of that certification would be all the documentation I would require and you would have to join the AMGA at the Associate Member level prior to taking the assessment.
So, if you need the certification sooner rather than later, you can apply for an exemption from the SPI course. Or, if you have more time, you can wait until the AMGA and the BMC work out a reciprocity agreement (hopefully this could be completed by the end of 2012.)
I know nothing about American Canoe Association requirements or certifications. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.americancanoe.org/