oh dear, who dug up this can of worms!
Yeap, in the 2 years since this thread originally started, nothing really has changed, has it! We still have the crazy situation that anyone can set themselves up as a self-professed skills coach, start teaching, and potentially even create their own instructor courses too, with no qualifications or experience. It really does not help there is no current Aussie recognised qualification.
It's interesting to see how British Cycling have developed this over the last few years- they have a new level 2 MTB guiding/leadership qualification, and totally separate MTB coaching qualifications, which I think is a good way to go. It does look like they still need to finalise the upper levels of these courses. It will be interesting to see how this develops with the level 3 certificate, as I currently think the level 2 is not definitive enough (and clearly wasn't planned that way, but a stepping stone for advanced trainers to move forward).
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/coaching/article/leaderst-Level-2-Mountain-Bike-Leadership-Award-0
The biggest difference between this and what currently is on offer in Australia is that this is an assessed qualification (after a period of consolidation and practise), rather than a short training course. The idea that it should take a period of months or more to gain a qualification (and the experience to pass it) and that you need to work through a series of levels to attain the highest level award makes a lot of sense, rather than a quick weekend.
There are a few other things to consider too- it's fine to do a training course (with or without a recognised qualification!), but it is experience and practice that makes a good guide/instructor- don't believe anyone who tells you they can teach you to be an polished instructor in a weekend! I had worked for 2 summers in the Alps whilst getting my qualifications, before I set up my business 5 years ago, and I am still learning and developing both my skills and the way we teach. Our other instructor is an experienced guide/instructor who has worked in Whistler -we actually recruited him based on his experience, knowledge and personality, rather than any qualification he had - and it helps to bounce ideas around and see how what others have learnt or found works- Experience in many ways is way more important than a qualification.
In SA at least, most insurers and landowners will require you at abide by our Adventure Activity Standards to run commercial MTB activities- they have a list of competencies that a leader/company needs to abide by- they have a long list of educational units that it is required you are able to demonstrate you have attained. I don't neccesaririly agree with it, but its a good start if you make sure any course you attend at least covers this type of basic stuff....
http://www.recreationsa.org/GOSO/aas/mountainbiking.pdf
Of course it doesn't help when some operators don't even have permission or a licence to operate on the land they use, but that is another can of worms!
