Mick Dasey, Riverina regional manager of royal Lifesaving NSW, said the coronavirus pandemic caused chaos within the aquatic industry.

"Swimming pools shut down, and a lot of teachers lost their jobs," he said.

"What they have found since reopening lessons is that the numbers of swim teachers have dropped off.

"That was on top of there always having been a shortage of skilled learn to swim teachers."

Mr Dasey said there is traction building as swimming classes resume, but it will fall "flat on its face" if there are no teachers.

He said there is no "pigeon-hole" that describes the type of person who could work in the role.

Mr Dasey explained specific criteria that need to be met to be eligible for the free course.

"They can no longer be at school, they have to live or work in NSW, and they have to be an Australian or New Zealand resident," he said.

"They also must meet one of the following requirements: aged between 16 and 24, or may be at risk of unemployment, and someone who the upskilling for would maybe guarantee employment in the long term."

Brad Kahlefeldt, from Wagga swim Hub, agreed there was a shortage of swim instructors, and they have been training up instructors after they've completed the course.

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"It was particularly difficult to find instructors, especially due to COVID and JobKeeper.

"This course is a great opportunity for people who enjoy working with children and have a passion for teaching children to swim."

Mr Kahlefeldt said as the world returns to some form of normality, teachers have been noticing that some students are behind where they should be. And, in some cases, have even regressed.

"After six months of no swimming, we have seen that some children have gone backwards," he said.

"We have schools that come in every week, and we have kids who won't get in the water because they are petrified - even older ones.

"They jump in and almost sink to the bottom."

Mr Kahlefeldt said this had driven home just how important it is to have swimming lessons, especially in a city that sits on the Murrumbidgee River.

"Swimming is a life skill and we're proud to teach many Wagga children, and adults to swim year-round," he said.

"After a few lessons these children gain the confidence to start swimming."

For more information about the course, go to https://royalnsw.com.au/TRAINING/Swim-Teacher.

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