Outdoor Industry Connect & Share Forums
Outdoor Industry Connect & Share Forums
Exploring the Impact of Early Career Advice and Outdoor Skills
Have you ever wondered how early career guidance could transform a student's future? This episode starts with a heartfelt Acknowledgement of Country to the Gadigal and Bidjigal people and then dives into current industry trends. Join us as we discuss the recent roping skills refresher facilitated by Blue Mountains Climbing School and how Choose Tourism Days are connecting students with dynamic career opportunities. We also tackle the debate on whether career advice should begin at Year 9 or Year 12, emphasizing the crucial impact of early guidance. Plus, we explore the integration of outdoor recreation certifications into school curriculum and its potential benefits for students and tourism operators alike.
This week’s updates don't stop there. We cover significant consultation like the AMSA Domestic Commercial Vessel changes which included smaller crafts like canoes and kayaks, and the highly anticipated Mountain Bike Symposium in Merimbula. Discover the insights from the new safety video for trail bike users and get the scoop on the Outdoor Education Awards. We also highlight upcoming key events including the Sydney Careers Expo and the National Outdoor Eduction Conference at Federation University. Hear about the challenges in aligning outdoor education qualifications and the ongoing efforts to enhance their national recognition. Don't miss this comprehensive look at the latest in the outdoor industry!
To stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube Channel
Our members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.
All right, welcome all. So, as I was saying, laurie's handed me a whole bunch of slides for this week, very, very full information in this week's Connect and Share. But as we get started we'll move into an acknowledgement of country and particular. Like Laurie's thing, each week I'm on exactly the same lands. I'm on Gadigal and Bidjigal people's lands, so obviously we're from many different places there, but I'd like to pay my respects to Elders, past, present and emerging and welcome everyone to the meeting today and those who are listening later, from whichever land that you are coming from and that you are coming from. So, as I said, today's agenda is very full, so lots in that industry news, no speaker, and then we'll have our question and answer at the end. So now, as per the thought of the week, this is an interesting one that.
Speaker 2:Laurie's been throwing in for us, but does anyone have a thought for the week that our outdoor leaders and practitioners might benefit from? I'll throw one in if no one's got one. Go for it, dave. I went to a Destination New South Wales presentation yesterday. They had an excellent First Nations speaker, yeah, and what he suggested was that, across the industry, we should be working with our local First Nations communities to integrate whatever knowledge is acceptable into our programs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think as an industry we've thought that for a long time, but I think now it's about let's work with them to implement it. So yeah, thank you, dave. Moving on, there was a roping skills refresher. So thank you a lot to Blue Mountains Climbing School for assisting with that professional development session. The feedback has been great, but the note here from Laurie is stay tuned for more professional development skills days being programmed for the needs of the industry. So also in that context, if there's anything that you particularly want to see, that you particularly want to see, then please reach out to Laurie and let her know what that is. So, yes, so I've had feedback. Laurie's had feedback, apparently a great day all around. So I don't know if anyone here on the call attended that one, but you're apparently well received by all those who did so.
Speaker 1:Moving next, we've had Choose Tourism Days. So this is going around the state and still a few weeks left. Laurie was in Bowral this week and Adventure Guides Australia and Optimum Experiences and Sport at Reg Centres have also been supporting these events, but in particular thanks to Destination New South Wales who are facilitating the events with support of Austrade. So in particular, it's about connecting tourism industry, with students' career considerations. So certainly a number of people have been assisting in this space. So five events down, obviously. So lots to go still. Obviously, as per usual, if you're in the area, reach out to Laurie. She's more than happy to have others participate and help at these events.
Speaker 2:I've got a comment there on those events. I just participated in two for outdoors new south wales in albury yesterday, the day before, and one with outdoors new south wales and outdoors victoria in wodonga a few weeks ago, and they tend to target year nines and uh, I think it'd be good to have a good discussion at some stage put it in the log about who we should be targeting and how we should better be targeting it. I don't think either of the ones I attended got the message through, and I'm not quite sure other presenters from other industries did either. My thoughts are should we actually be targeting year 12s?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think.
Speaker 4:A throwaway line.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, no, I think you're right, dave. We need a wider discussion around that, also just putting another hat on having been involved with you, know, in a previous life in careers advice and career information it is. It's interesting to see how it plays out. Certainly, career advice received earlier in high school, so not year 12, tends to influence the longerterm thinking and subject selections and where they might end up down the track. So, however, I do agree it's probably worth talking with the career practitioners who are current and find out what's best. So we'll throw that at Laurie as well and see what we can come up with.
Speaker 2:Particularly as Generation Alpha isn't looking to have a straight career path anyway, so the newer generations are thinking differently. Yeah, but anyway it's worth the discussion, that's all. Yeah, liz had a comment, I think, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's worth our while also to expand the conversation. I know outdoor rec is not picked up in VAT in schools programs by a lot of people but putting it on the students' thought process in Year 9 and 10 starts them thinking. But certainly the certificates in recreation and aquatics are well placed for students to be able to do in year 11 and 12. So starting to think about in year 9 is not such a bad thing and some of those things would be really valuable to the tourism operators on the coast, those sorts of different things. So if we think beyond just the outdoors, then there is value. But the other thing is that the outdoor programs we tend to think that they can't do them in year 11 and 12, but some schools are doing them really well and they would leave with a Certificate III in outdoor recreation if we negotiated with the Department of Ed that they could do that and it counted on their NISA scores.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I will come to that a bit later in our discussion as well, liz. But yeah, I completely agree, it does affect those timings. So moving on still with that.
Speaker 4:Ian's got his hand up on that. One think, sorry, go for it, ian, that's all right. Sorry, uh, just very quickly. I I figure this is really a marketing tool more than anything, and you know it's fairly well known, I think with marketing the first time you see you go, that'd be a good idea. The second time, oh yeah, that was going to be a good idea. And so if we do market it from the nines through to year 12s and they see it several times, hopefully we can influence a little bit of the subject selection but then ultimately influence what they do post year 12 in their training or getting some jobs or something out there to get some experience and stuff in our area so yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's it.
Speaker 1:It's those multiple touch points. Give us that uh, that thing from those career information sessions. The the more they hear about, the more they might just go. Oh yeah, this is a career for me. So so here we've got destination Sydney, surrounds south. Now that's a bit of a mouthful, but so they held a symposium that brought speakers and topics together for industry connecting with each other. So Laurie was in attendance, but there was also Valley Outdoors, optimal Experience, experience Nature, so a few of the outdoors providers and outdoor industry reps there.
Speaker 1:So Steve Cox, the CEO of Destination New South Wales, gave a presentation on how the region was doing and also opportunities based off the new Western Sydney International Airport. So obviously a fair bit happening there. Now Steve mentioned that the new airport is expected to overtake Dubai in visitors expected in the first five years of opening, which that's huge. So 10 million passengers by 2031, 2033. So that's sizable. So that's sizable. So shared growth in the regions and those that have declined in expenditure. So South Coast, from Wollongong down, has experienced a decline year-ending 2023, while the rest of the state is increasing in visitor expenditure. So as the fact that that was a destination Sydney southern surrounds or surrounds south, obviously from a Wollongong down perspective, having a decline. That was clearly a concern there. But on the overall, new South Walesales seen the largest growth compared to other states. So that visit visit is coming in, so good news for us in new south wales overall. The domestic versus international spend. So so domestic, 49% leisure, slash holiday, so you know, whereas 17% business. So we're, you know, looking at different things, whereas international the higher spend is on education, 40% there, whereas 29% holiday. So it's, it changes around quite significantly looking at the domestic versus international. But certainly either way, lots of, lots of good data coming at a destination in South Wales.
Speaker 1:The Laurie also attended Parks and Leisure Australia the conference which had Costa as the keynote speaker. Alongside Laurie with nature play presentation were members of Collective Leisure and Fiona Robb was also presenting. So a fair bit there. So from a Parks and Leisure perspective managed to get the outdoor piece in there, which is great. Obviously a bit came out of that. So great, obviously a bit came out of that. So where's that next one? There it is. So collect liverpool active seniors program and fiona robb playground design. Uh, took the winner for the play space category at that session. So a lot of great things that were seen around mountain biking, with regional awards and contribution to community. So a well done to the Tweed for the Yuki Mountain Bike Park. Now Mountain Bike Symposium that's happening in October they will be there, so certainly those who are attending and if you're not yet, get on board, lots happening there. There was also the Global Sustainable Tourism Summit. So been a busy week for Laurie. A lot of discussion around nature and wildlife experiences, so she contributed to that conversation on sustainable practices and opportunities.
Speaker 1:The sorry AMSA, australian Maritime. So yes, the Maritime commenced public consultation on phase two of the changes to the marine order, so this will remain open for eight and a half weeks until the 28th of July. So it's getting close. The purpose of this phase of the review is to ensure that the safety management system requirements continue and improve safety outcomes for domestic commercial vessels and are easy to understand, fit for purpose and practical for the diverse range of vessels within the fleet. Now what does that really mean For us? Key proposed amendments simplifying those, those safety management system requirements for smaller, less complex vessels and operations. Strengthening fatigue management. So risks and enhancing management of risks from drug and alcohol use. Ensuring that roles and responsibilities for safe operation of vessels are clear. Vessels are clear Updating the assembly station requirements to be practical, aligning procedures for operations and emergency preparedness with risk, addressing risk to vessel stability and amending certificate of operation renewal criteria to reduce burden. Now what does that all really mean for us? There are changes in the proposal, things to do with requirement of 10 hours rest in each 24-hour period for Masters and Group. There's a link, as you can see on the screen, to the draft order. But one of the big things of note is that the concerns that the outdoor sector has raised about smaller craft, particularly canoes, kayaks and the likes, have been taken into consideration. So while there's still lots happening in the space, there's still consultation occurring. They have taken into consideration the industry's concern around those smaller crafts, such as canoes and kayaks, which were very much captured in the previous version. So obviously we still need to stay across it, but it's our contribution to date has helped ensure that canoes and kayaks don't get caught up in exactly the same level of operations as every other larger vessel out there.
Speaker 1:Mountain Bike Symposium, mentioned earlier. The tickets are opening, going on sale next week. The tickets are opening, going on sale next week, so 25th, 26th of October in Marimbula. So certainly get on board, get the tickets, get to that for those who are focused with the mountain bikes. So there's going to be a bit happening with that, and Destination New South Wales is supporting the event, which is great news. As we know, that comes with some bonus in funding. So Blue Sky Trails is partnering in the symposium, so thank you to them, because these events obviously rely on support from different partners. So, while not exactly mountain bikes, there has been a trail bike committee has produced a video which they've asked everyone to share amongst their networks. Now I have come across that in in my browsing of the internet that's come up for me, so have a uh, a quick play of that for those of you who might not have seen it is there supposed to be sound, jeffrey?
Speaker 1:oh oh, I was hearing it so I assumed you were too Sorry about that. All right, let me you know what. I'm not immediately seeing how to get that sound happening so clearly. The uh, the link to that. I will.
Speaker 3:I will uh see about putting that maybe just put the link in the chat and people can watch it.
Speaker 1:That's what I am thinking, so I will work out how to copy it from there. But in saying that, as I said, I have seen it come up on my feed, so I will grab the link later and put it in the chat. But really, the big thing is that it's putting yes, it can be fun, it can be safe. We've got to look out for other users in these environments, but you've got to have your license and your rego because, as this one here has stated, no license, no rego, no ride. So it is really pushing the safety message as well as looking out for other users. But I will put it in the chat for you. So, as you can see, they've worked with Crown lands, national parks, state forests and come up with this code of conduct that everyone's happy with, so promoting that, which I think is a great thing Many, many years since I've been on a trail bike, but a great thing to see this being promoted so that our sharing, particularly of state forests, we've got appropriate use. Is this my thing?
Speaker 1:Outdoor Education Awards, so Outdoor Education Australia. The awards are open at the moment, so up to the 5th of July. So you've got people who you think or organisations who need to be nominated. So Outdoor Education Practitioner, outdoor Education Emerging Practitioner, the Outdoor Ed Program Service to Outdoor Ed, outdoor Ed Fellow and the Outdoor Education Research Award, which comes very much through the Journal of Outdoor Ed, environmental and Outdoor Ed. But get them in before the 5th of July. So there's the website there, so the Outdoor Ed Awards easy to follow, easy to get the information on what's required. So I would say, get your nominations in now, up later in the year the announcements of those Human ability.
Speaker 1:So, as we've discussed before, the outdoor leadership packages are remarked for 2024. There will be review. So we want to know what do you want changed, what needs to be added and where are we not meeting job requirements. That may or may not be qualification related, but it still may help inform that review of the training package. So I know many would say that is early, but five years down the track not considered early for most training packages to be reviewed.
Speaker 1:So please, for those of us who are there representing the industry, the more feedback we can have in the lead up the better. And just sorry, just going back to that for a moment, there are working groups being recommended and formed around that and it will be open for some nominations and also subject matter experts as well as open consultation. So next on careers in the outdoors, so coming up very soon, august. So 16th and 17th of August at Moore Park. It's a sizable event, sydney Careers Expo and it's an opportunity to participate with Outdoors New South Wales and ACT and members joining up at a fraction of the cost and be a part of a combined Outdoors industry presentation and stand to get the careers message. This one, it being that large careers expo does attract a large variety of ages, as per our discussion earlier Outdoors.
Speaker 3:All right?
Speaker 1:Ah, the Outdoors Industry Masterclass. Yes, one spot remains Now? Geez, that's pretty good. One spot remains now? Jeez, that's pretty good. Only one spot left. If you're missing out, get in now.
Speaker 1:So we have been talking about this for weeks now. But the mini conference coming up in July, so getting very soon. Conference coming up in July, so getting very soon. So lots of content there to get engaged in. So whether it's marketing, governance, First Nations, best practice, so things we've even mentioned here throughout the beginning of our call, mentioned here throughout the beginning of our call. So that is happening alongside the mini-conference or the mini-conference is happening alongside the masterclass either, or so from 17th to 19th of July for the masterclass and the 20th of July for the mini-conference, which is at the Nature School in Port Macquarie. So both are happening in Port Macquarie, so very easy to do both at the same time. So the outdoor learning mini conference is open to people who are dealing with all age groups, but it's particularly around that getting youth outdoors and health and wellbeing, but also from that school perspective as well. But it is a broader, broader opening, broader understanding there. So I know that one has been discussed a bit, but if you're interested, get on board. As you can see, there's a bit happening there on that agenda. So using the outdoors to enhance student well-being, education outside the classroom, student well-being education outside the classroom, enriching learning by connecting curriculum with nature and establishing inclusive outdoor learning spaces. So that's just some of the sessions I think it's. I unfortunately won't be attending, but I'd love to be getting the information afterwards as a result. So I don't know if any of you in the same boat.
Speaker 1:Other things that are coming up nat core, so that's getting. That's getting closer. 20th of june, so the survey results around that uh, that came from that. The weather Weather surveys are getting close. So what apps are used most, what's needed to enhance our understanding of weather and its impact? And it really is looking to explain those results and how confident people were with the current systems. So coming up very soon. Also coming up very soon. Also coming up the incident response workshops. So back in August, $250 per person. So key areas that they'll be delving into mastering the science of stress, designing effective response plans, sharpening your skills through scenarios, creating customised action template. So be able to walk away with a bespoke template designed to help you plan and implement impactful critical incident scenarios in your own context. So it is not just an information session. You'll be walking away with things that you can then use to implement within your organisation Definitely be worthwhile.
Speaker 1:The next thing coming up, of course that needs to be in your calendar in December the National Outdoor Ed Conference. So hosted at Federation University as one of their main conferences for the outdoor industry in Australia. Obviously we know, or I believe many of us know, as one of their main conferences for the outdoor industry in Australia. Obviously we know, or I believe many of us know, outdoor NSW held the last one in late 2022 and this next one down in Gippsland, hosted by Outdoors Vic and Outdoor Education Australia. You will be able to camp, if you choose, or stay in the uni accommodation. Presenter expression of interest have closed and they have released early bird tickets. So get in, get your tickets, get your date saved, get to that one. I'm sure it's going to be sizable.
Speaker 1:Other things that are happening the Australian Snow Activities Best Practice Discussion Paper QR code. Go to it. So it has been released for use with this coming season or the coming or current, I'd say. At this point in time we're current. So there will be a backcountry summit coordinated on the 16th of October to discuss the paper and what we need to be able to refine to get it included in the Australian Adventure Activity Standard. So that is a lot that Laurie has been involved in and shared for us for this week week.
Speaker 1:So before we then move to the closed question and answer what's how open, we need this recorded question and answers against all of that. Surely there's some comments or questions. There was a lot of information there, nothing wow. I am going to throw back to the comment liz was making and I was going to talk about it during the um. I was going to talk about it during the. I was going to talk about it during the point with human ability and didn't the things around comments around Cert 2, cert 3, outdoor rec, outdoor leadership. Some schools are engaged in it. We need that greater connection with NESA. We need that greater connection with Nessa. So I am trying to remember the forum, but last discussed was more of a national discussion.
Speaker 1:But at our New South Wales ACT level, particularly New South Wales, as per Liz's comment, nessa had made it clear when we've been speaking to them that for certain parts of getting a greater recognition, the sport and rec quals overall, the easier it is for them to do things differently.
Speaker 1:Within our particular year 11 and 12 cohorts with sport and rec potential ATAR alignment a whole different debate about whether we need that or not.
Speaker 1:But so as a part of the human ability review of the outdoor rec, outdoor leadership qualifications, it has been said that the CERT2 in sport, recreation and aquatics has to be looked at at the same time as the Cert II in Sport and Recreation to, where possible, enable greater alignment.
Speaker 1:So that's about how do we make it all work across the board so that, regardless of how they're getting into sport and recreation and whether they end up in sport, community, rec, aquatics, outdoor, that there's easier pathways and we get greater access to more people.
Speaker 1:So there is that going forward at the moment with human ability and that review so that not only NESA but other states as well, we can get that increased alignment, which is particularly important because, as Liz acknowledged, there's very few schools doing Certificate 3 in outdoor leadership I'm going to say 3, but I could be wrong Whereas around the country there's certainly more doing the Cert 2 in outdoor recreation. But still much improvement to occur there as the Cert II in Sport and Recreation is being consistent on the top 10 of the qualifications nationally for a number of years now, whereas our outdoor is much, much lower than that. So we're looking at that combined review against that Now. If there's no hands up or no further questions at this point, I will move to our non-recorded space. So I will stop sharing and also stop the recording.