Training the new generation of outdoor professionals? How? Where?

I want to be a firefighter; I want to be a doctor; I want to be a singer …I want to be an Outdoor guide, a Lodge Manager, a Captain, an Outfitter. While singers, firefighters and doctor receive a direct and formal education, research indicates that the majority of the people currently employed by or involved in the outdoor industry, have reached their professional goals without a specific education, a degree, or a professional school (there are of course exceptions to this rule which will be discussed later in this article). Does our industry need a more 'formally trained' working force? Should we encourage (or require as employers) a professional education for the future generation of outdoor workers? Where are these skills being taught? Where do we send the new generations of outdoor professionals to be trained?

Following a widely spread trend the outdoor industry is experiencing the growth of rules, ordinances, and regulations which are being applied to several facets of the business. We have seen more regulations on the river, in the delta, on the ocean, in the mountains; in the deserts; on the trails. This is particularly true for those operations which heavily depend on public land use. More regulations translate into more external control, (indeed, more paperwork) but especially the need for more planning and more attention to details. To make a living in the outdoors seems deceivingly simple while in reality it is one of the most difficult business to master. As more and more people are trying to leave their desks behind and join the ranks of the outdoor professionals the competition is becoming truly fierce.

So, what is the identikit of the outdoor professional of 2010? What qualities do we seek in a perfect employee or what skills will be requested to be a successful manager of a lodge, a charter boat, or a touring company?

We don't intend to give an answer to all these question in a short article, but rather we would like to give you an overview at what it is offered to the future professionals of the outdoor.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES
While knowing a different language could give you a small edge in some niche markets, we can safely say that knowing a second or third language will not make you or break you. Almost all the students in the world have been required to study and learn English, and they arrive to our country eager to show off their English skills. So, luckily for us in North America, the knowledge of only one language - English - should not be a debilitating factor. Having said that, the better you can communicate with our guests the better you will perform. Thus, if you deal (on a continuous base) with large groups of foreign tourist of a specific ethnicity, it may pay you back to acquire basic language skills that will allow to better communicate with them.

CERTIFICATIONS vs. DEGREES
There is usually a technical and a practical difference between a "Certification" and an Academic Degree. A Certification is the official recognition of a particular set of skills. A certification (or a license) is typically issued by an authorized Agency or Entity after the completion of a test or after having met specific requirements. Certifications may also be obtained by attending a series of courses or classes the length of which varies greatly depending on the type of certification one's seeks to receive.

An Academic Degree, such as Outdoor Recreation Degree is, on the other hand, a more generic educational title which it is earned by attending a series of classes and courses with an accredited Institution. One generation ago the role of the institutional educator for the tourist industry was de facto assumed by an extensive network of local Travel Agency where the aspirant tourist managers could obtain their first taste of the tourist world: ticketing, commissions, reservations, cancellations, complaints, geography, basic accounting. Several countries in the world are now recognizing that the tourist industry needs to rise up to the challenges of a very competitive market and thus they are advocating more specific and formal training for the next generation of tourist professionals and managers. An example of this trend is the University of Verona, Italy where a new Master of Tourism Management is now offered to the Graduate students. This graduate degree is open to graduated from many unrelated fields and diverse background are indeed encouraged. In 2004 I was honored to teach 3 classes in this program, which has been very successful, and many other university worldwide now implements it. Some of the courses taught were Cultural Tourism, Event Organizing, Internet Marketing, and Outdoor Tourism.

CERTIFICATIONS & LICENSING

An well known example of basic certification is the CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) which is now required by many employers. Local Red Cross Chapters, Hospitals and Fire Departments (along with many other local institutions) usually provide CPR classes for a nominal fee. It is worthy of notice that many Outdoor Operators are now asking their employees to add AED (Automated External Defibrillators) certification to the current CPR as an added level of safety for their clients. AED units have become very affordable ($1,000) and they really make a lot of sense in remote (and not so remote) situation where a "quick medical response" is not an option. To become ADA certified would be another Certification to obtain that would look great on anybody's Resume, and it may save someone's life in an emergency. For more information on AED at American Heart and Red Cross.
However, please be aware that some Certifications (like CPR or AED) are relatively easy to obtain but they must be kept current. Their acceptance and validity also may change depending on the State of operation. New discoveries and a better understanding of the laws regulating the human physiology impose constant reviews of these medical techniques. Once in a lifetime won't cut it anymore. No matter what knowledge you seek you must retain a strong will to learn.

It is easy to see how the majority of today's required Certifications deal with Risk Management, Liabilities and Safety. They belong to a group of Certification that little to do with the level of services offered to a clients but satisfied the long list of safety concerned linked to the insurance portion of an operation. However these type of safety regulations are not time wasted nor they are an added layer of bureaucracy for indeed they help preventing thousands fatal accidents each year.

Certifications and Licensing on LAND and WATER.

WATER - Generally speaking the water certification (with some exceptions fro the rivers) are managed and controlled by the US Coast Guard. When there is water involved, the United States Coast Guard is more or less it.

USCG Licenses - Over the past ten years the applications for a captain's license have doubled each year. The popular OUPV (Operator of Un-inspected Passenger Vessle) license permits a Captain to operate an uninspected passenger vessel with up to six paying passengers (hence the term "six-pack") plus crew. The OUPV can have an Inland or Near Coastal designation based on the bodies of water where you have obtained your sea experience. Inland will allow you to operate inside the Boundary Line with paying passengers, and Near Coastal allows you to operate up to 100 miles from shore with paying passengers. This license is the easiest to obtain and includes most of the charter boats and party boats in business today.

A number of professional schools are authorized to issue such license and will exempt you from taking the Coast Guard exam if you take their course. Courses run anywhere from $500 to well over $1,000 for the six-pack course. This License can be later upgraded to an OUPV Master 25/50/100 Ton License.

There are many other Licenses issued by the Coast Guard. For more information check out the Charter Boat Captain Information at http://www.uscg.mil/stcw/cb-capt.htm or for detailed information on Merchant Mariner Licensing and Documentation click here

How many Captains are there? As an example, in the state of Florida alone there are more than 5,000 USCG Captains, but how many among these really make living by guiding, or chartering their vessels, nobody really knows.

While the USCG regulates the Inland and Near Coastal waters the picture becomes a bit more confusing when we move on the river. Here there is ongoing debate nationwide on the role that should be played by the USCG and the interaction with the other Agencies involved in the regulation of our river systems (BLM, National Forest Service, Park Service etc.) to mention just few of them.

LAND - School and Certification issuing bodies working on mainland are more diverse, and there is not a federal agency that can claim, like for the USCG, the monopoly of the licensing and/ or instruction. Again Risk Management and Safety of the guests are at the heart of these certifications. The great majority of these certifications do not teach how to run a business.

NOLS - (National Outdoor Leadership School) NOLS Professional Training brings you the best of both worlds: the best instructors and the best curriculum in the industry, taught in customized, made-to-order programs that fit the unique needs of your organization.

OUTDOORED.com - The OutdoorEd Directory provides a searchable company listings for outdoor education and experiential education organizations, programs and companies including: schools, camps, training providers, therapeutic programs, corporate training and development, team building, and outdoor education centers.

SOLO Wilderness Medicine - Founded in 1976 as a school dedicated to teaching Wilderness and Emergency Medicine, SOLO (Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities) is the only school of its kind offering an educational, research, and conference center to both the international outdoor rescue and emergency medical communities as well as the local rural communities of New England.

NASAR (National Association for Search and Rescue) - The National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) has dedicated itself to preparing those involved in search and rescue.

AAA (American Canoe Association) - AAA Safety courses Designed for the whitewater paddlers and/or rescue personnel who may be called to assist in an entrapment or rescue situation. The American Canoe Association's Safety and Rescue program offers instructor certification at 3 levels - Essentials of River Safety and Rescue (ERSR), Swiftwater Rescue (SWR), and Advanced Swiftwater Rescue (AWSR).

MRA - Mountain Rescue Association The Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) was established in 1958 at Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood, Oregon making us the oldest Search and Rescue association in the United States. The large majority of its membership is made up of unpaid professional volunteers who have been fully accredited in Mountain Search and Rescue operations.

RMOC - Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center has been the premier whitewater kayaking school in the Rocky Mountain West since 1982. Our kayak instruction facility is on the banks of the famous Arkansas River with whitewater out the door!

AAA - The American Avalanche Association (AAA) is comprised of a collective group of dedicated professionals engaged in the study, forecasting, control and mitigation of snow avalanches. AAA Safety Courses are often referred to as Level I and Level II, or Introductory and Advanced courses. In the US courses are further divided into backcountry, mountaineering and pro courses.

These are just few among the best known Certification issuing bodies. To these we must add National Forest Service (NFS) and its State Affiliates, the Bureau of Land Management BLM, the National Park Service (NPS) that play an important role or regulation, licensing and certification of outdoor operators.

Schools without a Degree - Outfitters and Guides Schools
There are a considerable number of different 'trade schools' for Guides and Outfitters, which take the communication of skills with a "hands on" approach. These schools are in the great majority of the cases run as an extension of a successful full time Outfitting operation. However, while the students do not receive a recognized certification or diploma, they can acquire an incredible wealth of practical knowledge that will prepare them well and will help them finding a job in the outfitting market. To be noticed also that some of these schools instructors also teach classes to their local Community Colleges, making the whole package even more appealing.

Some examples:


Schools with an Academic Degree
Although the formal education of the professional of the tourist sector is still a fairly young reality, we can find some institutions out there that offer a formal education in the field. This will not guarantee you to find a job but it is a great start. Many of these modern Degree require the students to conduct an internship with a local company which is operating in the outdoors adding some invaluable "hands on" experience to books and classes. Some examples:

And to add to the list above you can consult the following websites:
www.outdoored.com and http://www.wilderdom.com/gradindex.html

In closing, while a formal education is not mandatory for conducting a successful outdoor business, the better we prepare our ranks the better we will serve our guests in the diverse and competitive environments in which we operate. Have a great summer season from all of us at Top Rated.

Have fun in our wonderful outdoors.

Maurizio Valerio, President and Founder
Top Rated Adventures
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