Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) unveiled a new Outdoor Workforce Hub, developed with support from The VF Foundation.
The hub’s release comes after a year spent gathering perspectives from ORR members, outdoor industry leaders and community partners to identify opportunities for the $862 billion outdoor recreation economy and the 4.5 million professionals who support connecting people to the outdoors.
The Outdoor Workforce Hub, which is hosted on ORR’s website here, features numerous interactive tools designed to help employers, educators and those interested in joining the outdoor recreation industry, including:
- A new Roadmap for a 21st Century Outdoor Workforce;
- A first-of-its kind map of nearly 250 higher education, trade, and training programs for outdoor careers;
- A primer on outdoor recreation-related jobs and existing research to help prospective talent, industry leaders, educators, and policymakers alike understand the breadth and depth of outdoor careers;
- A four-part Outdoor Workforce Expert series;
- An ORR Career Path Module featuring real professionals across the industry;
- Materials for career development offices; and
- Links to other impactful resources to help outdoor professionals thrive.
“ORR is grateful to The VF Foundation and all of our members and partners who helped make this fantastic new resource a reality,” said Jessica Wahl Turner, president of ORR. “From ensuring that the outdoor workforce is diverse and inclusive, to identifying needs like access to affordable housing, creating training programs to fill skills gaps, and combating myths and stigmas about careers in the industry, ORR is proud to be leading the way and seeking collaborative solutions to our shared challenges. More Americans than ever are discovering a passion for recreating outside – it is our job to make sure there are opportunities to turn those passions into careers that support workers and their families for a lifetime.”
ORR conducted several months of interviews and meetings with a diverse group of stakeholders to determine the hub’s content. The work culminated in a meeting in Bend, Oregon, co-hosted with Oregon State University.
“We believe in the transformative power of nature and stand firmly committed to empowering the heartbeat that keeps outdoor recreation alive – its workforce,” said Gloria Schoch, executive director, The VF Foundation and Senior Director, VF Corp. “The VF Foundation is proud to support the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable in launching the Outdoor Workforce Hub, a groundbreaking resource that will unlock limitless opportunities for individuals seeking fulfilling careers in the outdoor industry.”
