Andorran Ski Instructors Face Bleak Future Amid Low Pay and No Support

Carles Iriarte, president of the Andorran Ski Instructors Association (AAME), has voiced deep concerns over the profession's bleak prospects in the country, stating there is "no future" for it amid persistent low pay and a lack of support from authorities.

Speaking ahead of the association's ordinary general assembly for the 2025-2026 season, Iriarte highlighted that demands for better conditions remain unchanged after two decades. He criticised the preference for hiring instructors from abroad, who do not need year-round housing in Andorra—a major issue given the ongoing accommodation crisis.

Ski instructors earn around the minimum wage, Iriarte said, with large staffing rosters making it hard to accumulate enough hours to boost monthly income. While minor salary increases have occurred—"otherwise no one would come, even from the other side of the world"—they fail to make the job viable compared to other more stable and lucrative careers.

New members continue to join, including some trained at the EFPEM school, but most seek AAME certification only to gain international recognition and leave Andorra for work elsewhere, he noted. Chronic problems persist, such as breaches of labour contracts and failure to provide personal protective equipment or materials.

Iriarte also lamented the government's response to calls for reinstating the Andorran technique in school ski programmes. Instead of supporting it, the education ministry removed the requirement from the relevant decree, allowing children to train in any style. He added that pedagogical approaches shift unpredictably—"from one year to the next, or even day to day"—with some pupils encountering three, four or five different instructors during school ski weeks.