The Outdoors

In recent years, what were seen as the ‘traditional’ areas of outdoor education, outdoor recreation and development training have expanded to include the areas of explorations and expeditions and outdoor sport development. These two areas have a long history and tradition, and cover a wide-range of activity, products, employers and jobs.

The outdoors industry is estimated to be worth some £1.4 billion per year to the UK economy, employing many people in a salaried capacity, and thousands more in voluntary and seasonal work. The government has recognised the value of outdoor education for children and young adults, and has pledged that all children should be able to access the outdoors. The industry requires a unique combination of skills, and can only grow if suitably qualified and skilled staff are available to support it.

“Through SkillsActive we have access to information, resources and expertise that has helped us formulate an ongoing training and personnel development programme suitable for our needs. Membership has also given us a voice on training and skills development within the active leisure and learning sector.”
Martin Hudson, PGL

Our role

SkillsActive works across the UK to help achieve the government’s and devolved administration’s objective of a healthier, fitter nation. As a result of inactivity, obesity-related diseases are becoming more and more frequent throughout the UK’s population.

We have a programme manager dedicated to the outdoor sector that works with employers, and partnership organisations to ensure the outdoors has the highly qualified and skilled sector that it needs. SkillsActive encourages, supports and assists the continuing development of a dynamic and skilled workforce and its related organisations across the outdoor sector.

Examples of SkillsActive’s work with the outdoors:

• Development of induction standards for new recruits within the industry;
• Collaboration with St Martin’s College in Cumbria to develop a graduate apprentice programme in outdoor learning;
• Support the Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) as its technical reference group for the outdoors looking at safety and good practice in the sector.

Click here to watch a video outlining the importance of skills and training to the outdoors sector.

Key facts and figures

• Productivity has increased by 38% in the ten years to 2004.
• 29% of employees have below level 2 qualification, higher than the UK as a whole.
• The sector had an estimated GVA output of £430 million in 2004 and employed an estimated 25,020 people.

Training, education and qualifications

SkillsActive has worked in partnership to develop training plans and qualification frameworks for the active leisure and learning sector, we also develop national occupational standards that underpin education courses and qualifications, click here to access them.