February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 40
STUDENT RECRUITMENT
During the pandemic, furloughs
and physical-distancing policies left
many parks without staff, regular
maintenance and upkeep, and general
oversight. In addition to facilities
and infrastructure falling into a
state of disrepair and neglect, many
of these spaces saw a rise in vandalism,
graffiti and other forms of
abuse - defacement that typically
is kept in check by employees on
the front lines. And while agencies
and organizations overseeing these
spaces have rebounded since the
pandemic, one challenge remains:
the recruitment of quality park and
recreation professionals who help
keep these spaces clean and safe for
patrons, as well as provide valued
recreational programs and events
while fulfilling the constant administrative
needs this field demands.
Before joining
the College of
Forestry, Wildlife and Environment
here at Auburn University, I
was a faculty member in the park
management and conservation program
at Kansas State University.
During that time, I had the opportunity,
along with faculty in other
park and recreation-related
programs
around the state, to collaborate
with the Kansas Recreation
and Park Association and help disseminate
results from a parks and
recreation employer survey.
In early 2023, park and recreation
managers and supervisors around
the state responded to questions addressing
a variety of aspects related
to student employees and their level
of preparedness for the professional
workforce. And while impressions
were, overall, " good, " much of the
feedback given underscores some of
the aforementioned challenges.
Job-Readiness Gap
In short, recent graduates didn't always
know what they were getting
into, according to their supervisors.
Despite the continued interest in a
career in parks and recreation, there
was a disconnect between expectations
and the realities of the job.
Many recent graduates were cited
to be lacking the practical skills and
experience needed, often requiring
significant on-the-job training.
For example, an overwhelming
number of respondents noted that
what recent graduates were lacking
the most was a positive work ethic.
Things like a lack of dependability
and initiative were cited as areas
of concern, along with unrealistic
expectations of what the job entailed.
One respondent stated that
" ... working over 40 hours a week is
now asking a lot [sic] of them, even
when discussed in interviews. "
Additionally, " many didn't seem
to understand how much initiative is
wanted and necessary to excel. " Of
course, these qualities are important
in any field. However, the drive and
motivation amongst employees in
parks and recreation becomes even
more significant as what they do
has such a direct impact on the public.
These shortcomings, coupled
with a seemingly diminished work
ethic, underscore the importance of
effectively preparing students early
for the expectations of a career in
the park and recreation field.
Training and Development
Needs
Who is responsible for training the
next generation of park and recreation
professionals? Academic programs
or the agency? This is one of
the big questions we should be asking
ourselves, as a need exists to bridge
the gap between academic preparation
and the requirements of the
job. This includes not only technical
skills, but also aspects of customer
service and management training.
40 Parks & Recreation | FEBR U AR Y 2 0 2 5 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
Core business functions and management
skills also were cited as
areas for growth. Now, realistically,
we can't expect every undergraduate
student to be prepared for an
executive-level position right out of
college. However, a call for a deeper
understanding of budgeting and finance,
grant writing, administrative
concepts, and critical thinking skills
all speak to the need for a stronger
integration of these concepts prior
to graduation. In other words, students
should come away with, at the
very least, a basic understanding of
certain management and administrative
principles. This puts the onus
on the academic program to ensure
its learning objectives are meeting
the current demands of the field.
People Skills
The park and recreation world is
a people-oriented one. Regardless
of where one finds themselves in
the workplace, public engagement
comes with the territory, and being
able
to effectively communicate
and represent your organization is
critical. And while effective communication
skills in some formats
(e.g., digital methods) were commendable
amongst recent graduates,
other forms (e.g., verbal) were
seen as an area of concern for supervisors
who participated in the
survey. " Variety is key. [Employees]
cannot use just one method;
they need to apply the best method
to the customer and/or co-worker. "
Or, as another respondent put it,
" Young employees rely too heavily
on text messaging. "
It's easy to get lost in digital forms
of communication these days. With
an app for everything and the ease
of sending emails and text messages
to each other, we sometimes forget
the importance and value of face-toface
communication and effective
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2025 – Parks & Recreation
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Intro
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover1
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover2
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 1
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 2
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 3
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 4
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 5
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 6
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 7
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 8
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 9
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 10
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 11
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 12
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 13
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 14
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 15
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 16
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 17
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 18
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 19
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 20
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 21
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 22
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 23
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 24
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 25
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 26
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 27
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 28
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 29
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 30
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 31
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 32
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 33
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 34
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 35
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 36
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 37
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 38
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 39
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 40
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 41
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 42
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 43
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 44
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 45
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 46
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 47
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 48
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 49
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 50
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 51
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 52
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 53
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 54
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 55
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 56
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover3
February 2025 – Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2025
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2025
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
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