Careers in recreation
Recreation encompasses the 'non-competitive' side of physical activity. The recreation sector is expanding rapidly, with people increasingly participating in non-structured, non-competitive activity.
Recreation gives people the freedom to participate when and how they want and is a popular method of physical activity, as there is no pressure to perform at any particular level.
Many benefits have been attributed to active participation, including the obvious physical health benefits, the positive influence it has on social interaction and an array of mental health benefits.
Employment in the recreation sector can be extremely rewarding and offers a wide range of opportunities from community-based recreation centres, fitness clubs, aquatics and the outdoors. People working in the recreation sector are often multi-skilled and possess strong communication skills.
Areas within the recreation industryAs the recreation sector is so diverse it has been divided into three main areas. An overview of careers in community and outdoor recreation are firstly addressed which is followed by fitness.
For more information on careers and to view a range of career profiles go to www.futurenow.org.au and view the Careers section.
Community recreation
The community recreation sector can be very rewarding and involves providing a wide range of recreation facilities, services and activities to the general community. The community recreation sector offers varied working opportunities in a diverse environment.
There has been an increase in the development of multi-use centres which has resulted in a range of interesting and challenging job prospects within the community recreation sector. People willing to relocate to the regions can often gain valuable experience in the industry. The demand for skilled staff in the regions is high and roles can be very rewarding as they contribute to the greater community.
The diversity of the sector results in the need for a wide range of skills, from organising facility programs to working for local government as a Recreation Officer or supervising the community pool.
People are becoming more and more conscious of their health, wellbeing and physical fitness needs. As such, the need for community-based recreation will continue to grow.
Administration careers
Receptionist/Front Desk Attendant
A Receptionist is the first point of contact for members therefore a friendly manner and good communication skills are essential. Duties include greeting clients as they enter the centre, answering phone calls, scheduling appointments, answering questions and providing information.
Aquatic/Leisure Centre Manager
Centre Managers can be responsible for managing all aspects of a facility or facilities. These managers may operate at a strategic level, making high-level decisions and contributing to strategic planning. They are also responsible at an operational management level, dealing with more technical issues such as repairs, maintenance, security and cleaning.
Community Events Coordinator
A Community Events Coodinator works with local government and private organisations to develop, promote and deliver events designed to promote community participation.
Industry Development/Policy Officers
research and develop future policy, which will shape the development and implementation of programs offered. They also assess the effectiveness of research and development activities.
Program delivery careers
Programs Coordinator
A Program s Coordinator develops and implements programs to be provided within an aquatics, recreation or leisure centre. Duties include planning, budgeting, determining the nature and demand for services, identifying new trends in programs and overseeing the development of new programs.
School Holiday/After-school Program Officer
After-school Program Officers deliver programs to provide physical activity and education sessions for school aged children after school and during holidays. Coordinators design programs to deliver specified learning outcomes.
Seniors Program Officer
The Seniors Program Officer works with seniors groups to deliver programs designed to increase participation, social interaction and physical activity among older age groups.
Community development careers
Physical Education (PE) Teacher
Physical Education (PE) Teachers work in primary or secondary schools and are responsible for coordinating physical activity programs and educating students about community and personal health issues. PE teachers must possess a Bachelor of Education degree from a registered institution.
Inclusion Officer
An Inclusion Officer works with minority groups, such as people with disabilities and those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. Aspects of this role include designing programs to promote inclusion in the community and providing a range of support services to those in need.
Youth Worker
Youth Workers may use active recreation as a tool to assist young people to work through problems, build self-esteem and social interaction.
Aquatics careers
Pool Technician
Pool Technicians oversee the maintenance and safety audits of all pool equipment, managing chemical levels, checking pump motors and performing other maintenance duties. A traineeship or completed course from a registered training provider is the best way to gain qualifications in this area.
Pool Attendant and Pool Lifeguard
Pool Attendants and Pool Lifeguards ensure public safety in aquatic environments. They may work at public or privately run pools or be involved in beach patrols. No tertiary qualifications are required for this position. However, a Bronze Medallion or higher qualification is required for this position. The role is often part-time and can be a valuable learning experience while studying for a tertiary qualification.
Aquatics Instructor
Aquatics Instructors deliver programs to encourage and enhance people’s ability to swim and educate on water safety. A Bronze Medallion and a certificate from a registered training organisation is required.
Hydrotherapy Instructor
Hydrotherapy is used to treat a variety of ailments and inflictions such as arthritis, spinal cord injuries and stroke. Instructors supervise and assist people undertaking treatment.
Parks and gardens careers
Apprentice Greenkeeper
A job in horticulture has good prospects and involves preparing and managing fine turf, grassed areas and synthetic surfaces used for sport, identifying and correcting soil deficiencies, interpreting landscape plans and constructing rockeries, paths or ponds. This role undertakes training and work experience under a qualified Greenkeeper.
Greenkeeper/Curator
A Greenkeeper is responsible for the design and maintenance of public parks and gardens operated by various local governments and managers
of sports grounds.
Landscape Gardener
Landscape or Garden Architects design the layout and functionality of parks and gardens to maximise the balance of public open space and garden areas.
Horticulturalist
Horticulturalists conduct research into methods of improving irrigation techniques and plant biochemistry to enhance methods of maintaining parks and gardens.
Parks Supervisor
Parks Supervisors supervise, manage and coordinate the development and functions of state/local government parks and prioritise works and budgets allocated to parks.
Outdoor recreation
Careers in outdoor recreation can be fun, challenging and rewarding. There are a range of employment prospects in this area including adventure tourism, scuba instructing and camp management. Employment in this area generally requires individuals that possess specific qualifications and have a sound background in outdoor activities. For example, to obtain employment as a climbing instructor you need to be an active and/or recognised climber with significant experience.
Most positions in this area are casual. This means employees are covered by the employer for workers compensation and public liability, but are not paid for holidays or sick leave.
Importantly, you need to have a passion for working with people and for the outdoors.
Outdoor Activity Leader
Outdoor Activity Leaders guide groups safely through outdoor activities such as bush walking, mountain biking, climbing, paddling, scuba diving etc. Duties include assessing individual capabilities, monitoring progress, indentifying risk factors and developing program plans.
Outdoor Activity Instructor
An Outdoor Activity Instructor involves instruction on specific skills, safety aspects and refining techniques required to perform outdoor activities such as climbing, paddling, abseiling/rappelling.
Personal/Team Development Leader
A growth area in outdoor recreation is the demand for professional and corporate team building programs. This position includes delivering programs that aim to enhance trust and collaboration between corporate working groups and teams to improve organisational efficiency.
Program Developer
This role includes developing programs to achieve learning outcomes, often to suit specific needs and requirements of clients. A Program Developer obtains knowledge of occupational health and safety and liability/risk management issues.
Outdoor Adventure Company Owner/Manager
As a manager or owner of an outdoor adventure company you will be responsible for determining direction of the company, including which activities to be involved with, liability aspects, branding and financial controls.
Camp Owner/Manager
A recreation Camp Owner/Manager is responsible for determining which programs and activities to offer, establishing safety protocols, staffing, liability aspects, branding and financial controls.
Eco Tourism Operator
An Eco Tourism Operator focuses on experiences in natural areas, leading to environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation. Eco Tourism Operators conduct tours and provide information about the ecology of certain areas, and how to minimise the impact on it.
Outdoor education and training careers
Outdoor Education Teacher
Outdoor Education Teachers educate secondary school students on a wide variety of outdoor activities and environmental awareness.
Recognised Training Operator/Assessor
This role involves assessing individuals’ capabilities in a range of outdoor activities to determine if they meet criteria to become certified instructors/leaders in those activities.
Tertiary Outdoor Recreation Teacher/Lecturer
The role of Tertiary Outdoor Recreation Teachers/Lecturers s to develop and deliver courses in outdoor recreation and environmental education principles, policy and theory at a diploma or bachelor level.
Administration careers
Outdoor Camp Administrative Assistant
This role provides administrative support to camps through receptionist duties, taking enquiries, scheduling bookings, and other duties required to support a Camp Manager.
Government Recreation Officer
Government Recreation Officers plan, coordinate and deliver a range of recreation programs and facilities to the community. Duties include setting policy, liaising with community groups, identifying the needs of the community and prioritising projects and budgets.
Government Recreation Manager
A Recreation Manager is responsible for setting the strategic direction, developing and implementing policy, managing finance and human resources and engaging with a range of stakeholders.
Facility Designer
This role involves liaising with architects and other professionals in designing recreation facilities based on an identified need and advising on the procurement of land, providing concepts, plans, specifications and detailed drawings, and negotiations with builders.
Marketing Officer
A Marketing Officer applies formal marketing principles to the promotion and advertising of outdoor recreation programs and facilities for a wide range of outdoor recreation providers, including government agencies and private organisations.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager plans and directs the sales and marketing activities of a sport or recreation organisation. Tasks may include, setting sales and marketing policy, planning sales and marketing operations, including market research, advertising, promotion, distribution, pricing and selling, and recruiting, training and managing marketing/sales staff.
PR Officer
PR Officers work to support the promotional aims of an organisation. The position involves doing research and a lot of writing (media releases, reports, brochures). A strong knowledge of print and internet publishing is an advantage. PR Officers can also become involved in many of the activities associated with events, such as advertising.
PR Manager
The PR Manager applies formal reputation management principles to deliver predetermined communications outcomes with specific key target groups (e.g., members or sponsors). PR Managers are responsible for ensuring an organisation’s messages are accurately heard via many different channels, including traditional and on-line media. PR Managers need to be creative, highly organised and good with people.
Policy Officer
Policy Officers develop and implement policy which helps advocate the social and environmental aspects of outdoor recreation and environmental education.
Peak Body Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
A CEO determines the future direction of the organisation, sets policy to promote and enhance the industry by deciding which programs and services will be offered and controls activities and resources of the organisation.
Retail careers
Retail Assistant
Retail Assistants are responsible for customer service and merchandising.
Retail Store Manager
Retail Managers are responsible for overseeing the operations of a retail organisation including purchasing and inventory, staffing, marketing and
floor planning.
Recreation career pathways
| Career type | Certificate II/III | Certificate IV | Bachelor degree | 5-10 years experience or post graduate level |
| Potential pathway | > | >> | >>> | >>>> |
| Community recreation administration careers |
Receptionist/Front Desk Attendant Administration Officer |
Administration Manager
Leisure Centre Supervisor Membership/Sales Consultant |
Aquatic/Leisure Centre Manager Community Events Coordinator |
Industry Development/
Policy Officer
Events Manager Marketing Manager |
| Community program delivery careers |
School Holiday/After School Program Officer Seniors Program Officer |
Program Supervisor | Programs Coordinator | |
| Physical education careers |
Youth Worker Inclusion Officer |
Physical Education Teacher Social Worker |
||
| Aquatics careers | Aquatics Instructor |
Pool Technician
Pool Lifeguard Hydrotherapy
Instructor Pool Safety Officer |
Centre Manager | Peak Body CEO |
| Parks and gardens careers |
Apprentice Greenkeeper Apprentice Horticulturalist |
Greenkeeper | Landscape Architect | Land Government Parks and Gardens Director |
| Outdoor recreation leadership careers | Trainee Instructor |
Outdoor Activity Leader Adventure Activity Leader |
Personal/Team Development Leader Program Developer |
|
| Education and training careers |
Outdoor Education Teacher
RTO Assessor Tertiary OE Lecturer |
|||
| Administration careers | Camps Administration Assistant | Retail Assistant/Trainee |
Government Recreation Officer Marketing Officer |
Government Recreation Manager
Facility Designer
Marketing Manager
Peak Body CEO Policy Developer |
Sport and recreation sector career paths and tertiary courses
The career pathways in the sport and recreation sector and the tertiary courses available are outlined in this download.
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