The Outdoor Recreation Qualification Review project

The Outdoor Recreation Qualification Review project will critically evaluate and update qualifications in our outdoor sector across Australia to ensure they align with current industry needs, regulatory requirements, safety, and wellbeing outcomes.

HumanAbility will be working with peak bodies like Outdoors SA to enhance the relevance and applicability of qualifications to create clear and sustainable career pathways and to support existing and future growth in the industry. The outline for the project is below.

If you are interested in keeping abreast of the details please contact Outdoors SA to express an interest.

September to November 2024
The outdoor recreation qualifications are part of the SIS Sport, Fitness and Recreation Training Package. They require a review to address recent curriculum updates that reflect evolving standards and anticipate future needs within the sector.

The outdoor recreation sector is currently grappling with a scarcity of skilled workers, casualisation of employment, high staff turnover, and a growing demand for outdoor activities. This review aims to ensure that outdoor recreation professionals are equipped with relevant, up-to-date skills and knowledge to effectively meet current and emerging demands. It will also consider the provision of better career progression pathways.

With over 600 operators, the outdoor recreation industry contributes $11 billion to the economy each year and is projected to grow by 10 per cent by 2026.

Offering activities like mountain biking, abseiling, journey-based expeditions, cycling, fishing, bushwalking, canoeing, surfing, and climbing, the industry plays a significant role in the health and well-being of the community. The diversity of these activities underscores the need for training qualifications which are relevant to a broad audience and embrace the full scope of activities and settings.

Project Scope

This project will review 4 qualification and 195 units of competency that support training for the following occupations:

Outdoor Guide
Outdoor Instructor
Site Manager
Camp Facilitator
Specialist Activity Instructor
Tour Guide.

Qualification

The 4 qualifications being reviewed are:

• SIS20419 Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation
• SIS30619 Certificate III in Outdoor Leadership
• SIS40621 Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership
• SIS50421 Diploma of Outdoor Leadership

You can provide us with any initial feedback on the current qualification and associated units of competency by emailing details to the Project Coordinator.

Project governance and consultation strategy

We are currently establishing a Technical Committee (TC) of experts to provide advice for the project. TC members are selected for their relevant expertise on the diverse aspects of the project.The project terms of reference and the TC membership will be published on the website when finalised.We will also publish the project consultation strategy.Fact sheet

How to get involved

We encourage stakeholder participation from all relevant sectors across Australia. Please register to stay across project updates and opportunities to be involved.