Building a Career in Recreation and Leisure Services in Canada

A program in recreation and leisure management can be your ticket to the exciting and growing recreation and leisure services industry. You will work with diverse populations in different settings, such as corporate, institutional and community.

Being a part of this industry that promotes health, fun and an active lifestyle among the people of all ages and backgrounds requires you to have attained critical practical skills and a thorough understanding about wellness, culture and heritage and recreation. You must be aware of and make use of various approaches to wellness, in order to promote good health, emotional wellbeing and an active lifestyle.

The recreation and leisure services industry has evolved to a great extent in the past few years and so have expanded the role and responsibilities of the professionals employed in this industry. While on the job, you may also be expected to develop, plan and establish programs, market activities, prepare budgets, recruit and train volunteers, generate revenue for special events and services, design and implement planning strategies and apply administration skills.

You may also have to deal with the people and encourage them to enroll themselves into recreation and leisure activities. You are expected to play multiple roles, including counsellors, group facilitators, teachers, leaders, referral workers, coaches, outreach workers and advocates.

A recreation and leisure management course can help you gain the knowledge and skills required to become a part of this industry. In fact, it is now considered as the minimum qualification that is required to seek entry level jobs in recreation and leisure services industry. As people are becoming more health conscious and look forward to expert advice in order to bring positive changes in their lifestyles, it's important for professionals to have a well rounded knowledge and critical practical skills to guide them in the right direction.

Recreation Management Courses in Canada

Numerous Canadian colleges offer post-secondary recreation management courses in Canada. However, it's important for students to carefully choose their college and program. Not all programs incorporate industry field placements, which are essential to gain practical experience and later on seek employment in this field. Centennial College's two-year program incorporates four field placements, one in each semester, along with classroom lectures, two assignments and supplemental training in CPR "C" Standard First Aid, AED, Snoezelen, Food Handlers, and High Five (Principles of Healthy Child Development). The college also allows program graduates to apply their academic rewards towards obtaining a recreation management degree at the university.

Program Content

The students of this program are provided with a strong foundation in theories of recreation, gerontology and wellness, group dynamics, child and youth development, therapeutic recreation, healthy lifestyle management, community development, festivals and event management, and recreation management and marketing. A strong emphasis is laid on computer education, report writing for leisure and recreation services, and career development skills. In each semester, the students are provided with field placements, where they can put their classroom learning into practice.

Interested students can directly send their applications to the college along with a copy of secondary school diploma certificate, and scores in English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent.