When the European partner from PADI - PADI Eu services - was founded, it was soon decided that PADI in Europe would need a College, just as the PADI International College, to develop the market. After research of various options, the location of choice was "Villa Belle Rive" in the South of France.
In 1985, Stephen Metcalf was instrumental with advise regarding the infra structure. Classrooms, a pool and a compressor room were constructed and several other
adaptions
to the villa were completed.
Around that time Douglas Nash and later Henrik Nimb (a former Course Director with the PADI International College) came in to take care of the educational aspects of the center and the basis for the VIP course was created - initially it was called the "Premier Course". The first program was conducted in 1987, but it soon became clear that the chosen name did not work well in all the European languages the course was aimed at. Although the concept of the course stayed the same; in 1988 the name was changed and became VIP Instructor Course.
It was an 11 week program. The first 4 weeks had the same structure as the current Phase 2 and the last seven weeks had the same structure as the current Phase 3. There was an option to do a preparation course, which in its intent can be compared to the current Phase 1, but a Phase 4 did not exist.
From 1989 onward, Jan Oldenhuizing started teaching various modules of the VIP Instructor Course and when he became Educational Manager from the PADI European College in 1992, he was assigned the role of lead instructor for the VIP program. A part of his job at that time was to rearrange the content of the course to increase the educational efficiency.
In 1994 the PADI European College closed its doors. There was a simple reason for that - the
mission
the College was intended for was done. The PADI European College was created to establish PADI in Europe. By 1994 there were enough PADI Instructor Development Centers in Europe to support market demand and it was deemed unnecessary that PADI itself continued to train instructors; especially because the activities from the PADI European College put PADI in the position of being a competitor of their own IDC center membership.
The Instructor Training College took over the infra structure from the PADI European College in 1994, but was at that point not able to continue the VIP curriculum. Just like the "Gold Course" from the PADI International College, the VIP curriculum "died" with the closing of the PADI European College.
In 2004 the idea was born to bring the VIP curriculum back to life. After 2 years of hard work the Instructor Training College was ready to to bring the program back to life in 2006. After a break of 12 years, the first new VIP course is organized in May/June/July 2006.
Obviously there are changes. During the 12 year break, things have happened in the diving industry. Nitrox has become an issue and underwater photography went through a revolution after the introduction of digital cameras. The new curriculum reflects the current situation in the diving industry. It is not simply a matter of taking up the old lesson plans and starting to teach the old curriculum again. The format and the intent of the course are still the same, but the content is state-of-the-art and adapted to the needs of the diving professional from today. One detail did not change – the program manager for the new VIP curriculum is again Jan Oldenhuizing.
The VIP Course from today - same location, same lead-instructor and the same course structure, but adapted to the needs from the diving industry from today.
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Henrik is now Vice President, Training,
Education and Memberships with
PADI Asia Pacific
Douglas is now Vice President of
sales & marketing with
PADI International Ltd
The IT College was specially designed
and
constructed for the needs of the
VIP Instructor
course. During the first
courses (mid eighties)
the construction
was still in process.
The infra structure of the Instructor Training
College has been upgraded on various
occasions
throughout its existence. The
gardens around the
course locations guarantee tranquility. Once you
have
entered through the main gate, you are
in
another world; A world that allows
you to
concentrate on your training,
without
distraction from outside.
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