Paddle UK is committed to ensuring its qualifications and awards remain at the forefront of the global paddlesport community. Following an review of their Personal Performance Awards (PPA), they are introducing enhancements designed to provide greater clarity, support, and international recognition for paddlers across the UK.
A Collaborative Foundation
The review was not conducted in isolation. To ensure the awards meet the community’s “real-world” needs, they engaged in a consultation process involving:
- Participants: To understand the learner journey and motivation.
- Assessors & Providers: To identify areas where technical clarity could be improved.
- Clubs & Communities: To ensure the awards remain accessible at a local level.
- Industry & Employers: To verify that the awards continue to serve as a reliable benchmark for competence.
Global Recognition: The European Paddle Pass (EPP)
One aspect of this review has been ensuring alignment with the European Paddle Pass (EPP) framework.
“In an increasingly mobile world, standardisation across international federations is essential. By aligning Paddle UK PPA standards with European frameworks, this ensures that the skills and competencies gained through Paddle UK awards are recognised and respected by federations across Europe, facilitating smoother transitions for those paddling abroad”
Lee Pooley, Head of Learning & Development, Paddle UK
What’s Changing?
The feedback from stakeholders has led to several developments aimed at improving the assurance of the awards:
- Improved Clarity of Standards: Refined the language within the awards to ensure that both paddlers and assessors have a crystal-clear understanding of the “Standard Required” at every level.
- Integrated Checklists: To support a transparent assessment process, new checklists have been developed for each award. These provide a structured roadmap for learners and a consistent evaluation tool for providers.
A Step Forward
These updates are not about changing the intent of the awards, but about refining the mechanism of delivery. By providing better tools for assessors and clearer goals for paddlers.
