The Institute of Sport and Recreation Management
Outdoor pursuits
Outdoor pursuits is one of the fastest growth areas in the leisure industry. Thousands of people take to the great outdoors in the UK which has some ideal countryside for every type of outdoor pursuit, from climbing to caving, and skiing to sailing.
There is a broad range of outdoor centres in the UK, from activity holiday locations to local authority centres, providing courses and instruction to meet the rising demand. And, for every course, you need and employ people full time. As well as full-time jobs there are also many part-time opportunities for instructors, particularly on a seasonal basis at holiday and adventure centres.
Outdoor pursuits instructors are expected to combine excellence in a number of outdoor activities with practical experience in each of them. An instructor's award from the relevant governing body is a pre-requisite. The outdoors can be dangerous, which is part of the attraction, so safety aspects are always emphasised.
National training centres such as Plas-y-Brenin (Snowdonia) and Sport Scotland's National Centre at Inverclyde offer training and a variety of governing body awards in mountaineering, sailing, canoeing, power boating, windsurfing, ski mountaineering, hill walking and orienteering.