We are planning the 2022 workshop series with dates to be released soon!
WCU is widely recognized as the Southeast’s premier outdoor recreation and adventure university. We are leveraging and combining our academic excellence and experience in professional education with our outstanding and innovative outdoor-focused curriculum and deep connection to the nation’s burgeoning outdoor recreation economy to offer this affordable, dynamic, and flexible professional outdoor certificate.
When you work in the outdoors, you're getting paid to do what you love, but you're also making outdoor recreation more welcoming and accessible to everyone.
When people feel welcome and comfortable outdoors:
WCU's Professional Outdoor Industry Certificate program provides skills, insight, knowledge, and networking opportunities to students and learners from a variety of backgrounds who are interested in a rewarding career or thriving business in the outdoor recreation industry.
WCU's Professional Outdoor Industry Certificate program includes two guided tracks and an innovative, new "Trail Blazer" track that lets you create your own personalized curriculum:
A career in the outdoors means so much more than simply “taking people outside.” In addition to conventional jobs such as guiding and outfitting, the outdoor industry is comprised of a diverse array of technical, operational, and professional disciplines including economic development, leisure and hospitality, product design and development, advanced manufacturing, social media, public relations, advertising, marketing, content creation, policy development, sustainability, retail, education, advocacy, and even construction!
If you are looking for a flexible and affordable way to break into the outdoor industry, enhance your skill-set, stand out to potential employers, grow your outdoor business, or sharpen your leadership skills, WCU's Professional Outdoor Certificate program is for you!
A certificate requires completion of eight 6-hour workshops taught by industry and
subject matter experts. All three tracks kick-off with our popular Introduction to
the Outdoor Industry workshop, followed by 7 additional workshops as listed below.
The High Impact Outdoor Leadership and Entrepreneurial Strategy tracks include 8 core
courses that have been pre-selected.
For the Trail Blazer track, you can customize your certificate by selecting any 7 workshops from the two tracks (In addition to the required Introduction to the Outdoor
Industry workshop) for a total of 8 workshops that best meet your current position, professional development needs, and
career growth desires. You will likely take one workshop at a time and earn your certificate
in less than a year.
Depending on scheduling and workshop availability, you might finish in as little as
one semester!
Or…take your time, go at your own pace, and earn a certificate one workshop at a time. How you do it, and how long you take, is up to you!
Introduction to the Outdoor Industry - REQUIRED
Join Andy Coburn, WCU Faculty Liaison to the Outdoor Industry, and Steven Reinhold,
Director of Adventure for Black Folks Camp Too and Backpacker Magazine Gear Ambassador,
as they lead you on a comprehensive, interactive and engaging look at the US Outdoor
Industry.
Leadership Ethics
Moral character (i.e., ethics) is the foundation upon which leadership is built and
sustained. Challenges that risk a leader's long-term effectiveness often involve moral
dilemmas between two or more legitimate competing interests such as honesty versus
loyalty or accountability for failure versus encouragement of innovation.
The Trail Guide to Leadership
There are few things more gratifying than successfully trekking up a mountain and
enjoying the views. Good leaders, like good trail guides, help their people get there.
They know the terrain they are trekking, provide the resources their team needs to
reach its goals, and are confident in their ability to lead the way. This training
guides individuals to become better leaders.
Building Key Leadership Communication Skills
Learn "The 10 Commandments of Effective Leadership Communication" and develop your
active listening skills. Participants will identify the nonverbal communication cues
that signal leadership competence and set tone and will build a speaking "presence."
It is also important to analyze the critical role of leadership communication during
crises,which will be done through case study examples and how to prepare for the spotlight:
How to respond to media inquiries.
Discovering Your Strengths and Leadership Style
Having an understanding of your own strengths and leadership style will help you learn
to work more effectively with employees, managers, executives and government representatives.
Participants will complete a Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment in advance of the training.
What Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mean to Leadership Practice
Diversity? Inclusion? A welcoming and inclusive environment? What does it all mean
- in practice? These are words we hear across our various sector, yet they are critical
to our collective development and future. Diversity in the workplace has been linked to
greater performance outcomes, but inclusion is critical for the retention of diverse
employees.
Employee Relations, Best Practices and Laws Leaders Should Know/Contracts, Liabilities
and Risk Factors in Business
Attorney Jon Yarbrough will present an employee relations review and "best practices"
including the laws leaders should be familiar with on a state and national level.
Key issues will be addressed related to working with other organizations and how to
guard against legal matters related to liability.
The Seven Habits of Success for "Outdoor" Managers -
Description coming soon.
Introduction to the Outdoor Industry - REQUIRED
Join Andy Coburn, WCU Faculty Liaison to the Outdoor Industry, and Steven Reinhold,
Director of Adventure for Black Folks Camp Too and Backpacker Magazine Gear Ambassador,
as they lead you on a comprehensive, interactive and engaging look at the US Outdoor
Industry.
Tenets of Project Management
During this program, participants willl learn how to manage a project by using the
5 phases of project management and several other critical topics related to being
a successful project manager in any industry. Participants will also learn how to
lead small and large projects from initiation through close-out.
Small Business Finance and Operational Strategies
The success of any small business is based on developing a practical yet dynamic approach
to financial planning. Revenue and expense projections should account for fluctuations
in the economy, industry, trends and a plan for business expansion in the future.
Small Business Marketing and Brand Strategy Workshop
This workshop provides the aspiring outdoor industry entrepreneur with essential marketing
and branding basics to develop a marketing plan and brand strategy. Next, the workshop
also explores real-world examples of marketing in practice. It concludes with an overview
of related marketing topics for new outdoor business owners to consider as part of
their marketing efforts.
The Outdoor Entrepreneur Mindset: Business Planning, Start-up and Navigation
In this one-day workshop, join us as we explore the entrepreneurial journey and what
it takes to start, operate, and grow your own outdoor industry business. Whether starting
up a business, focusing on strategic planning, or taking your business to the next
level, it's critical to understand the entrepreneurial mindset.
Employee Relations, Best Practices and Laws Leaders Should Know/Contracts, Liabilities
and Risk Factors in Business
Attorney Jon Yarbrough will present an employee relations review and "best practices"
including the laws leaders should be familiar with on a state and national level.
Key issues will be addressed related to working with other organizations and how to
guard against legal matters related to liability.
Current and Tested Social Media Strategies in the Outdoor Industry
Craft your organizational or product story and learn to be more memorable and shareable:
Building Your Social Capital: Networking Strategies for Success
Description coming soon.
Customize your program by selecting 7 additional courses from both tracks in addition to the mandatory Introduction to the Outdoor Industry course.