Recreation Officers

ANZSCO ID 272612

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,800
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
53%
Female Share
62%
Average age
38

Summary

Recreation Officers plan, organise and coordinate recreation facilities and programs through organisations such as local governments, schools, church bodies and youth organisations.

Tasks

  • Identifies issues of local need, concerns and aspirations through community consultation.

  • Organises local sporting, cultural and recreational events and activities such as community functions, hobby classes, community arts projects and sporting competitions.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Creative
  • Enterprising
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 53% of people employed as Recreation Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 13 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Public Administration and Safety
31.9%
2
Health Care and Social Assistance
30.0%
3
Arts and Recreation Services
17.7%
4
Other Services
6.0%
5
Other industries
13.1%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

36.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

21.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.5% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

4.8% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

11.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

3.3% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.5% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Recreation Officers All Jobs Average
NSW 36.6 31.6
VIC 21.1 25.6
QLD 19.5 20.0
SA 4.8 7.0
WA 11.5 10.8
TAS 1.7 2.0
NT 3.3 1.0
ACT 1.5 1.9


  • Around 50% of Recreation Officers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    New South Wales has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
38
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
62%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Recreation Officers is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 62% of the workforce. This is 14 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Recreation Officers All Jobs Average
15-19 7.9 5.0
20-24 12.0 9.3
25-34 22.1 22.9
35-44 20.9 22.0
45-54 19.5 21.6
55-59 8.3 9.0
60-64 6.2 6.0
65 and Over 3.1 4.2
Median Age 38 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A formal qualification in sport and recreation, leisure and health, or another related field is usually needed to work as a Recreation Officer. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Community Services and Sport, Fitness and Recreation VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Recreation Officers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 6.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 25.2 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 17.2 11.6
Certificate III/IV 21.3 21.1
Year 12 16.4 18.1
Year 11 4.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 8.9 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers who can communicate and are mature and organised.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 54%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 52%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 52%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 50%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 50%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 48%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 48%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 48%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 48%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 46%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 46%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 41%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 41%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 41%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 36%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 70%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 56%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 54%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 54%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 51%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 48%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 44%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 41%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 40%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 40%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 40%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 39%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 36%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 34%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 28%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 27%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 27%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 25%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 23%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 19%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 50%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 48%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 48%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 48%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 46%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 46%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 46%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 45%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 41%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.

  • 39%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 39%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 36%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 34%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 63%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 62%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 62%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 61%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 59%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 59%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 58%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 57%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 56%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 56%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 56%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 54%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 54%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 52%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 52%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 51%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 45%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 44%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 44%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 41%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 81%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 62%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 52%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 33%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 81%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 52%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 43%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 98%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 89%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 89%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 88%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 84%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 84%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 84%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 83%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 82%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 79%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 79%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 79%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 78%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 76%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 75%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 73%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 72%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 70%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 67%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 66%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 39-9032.00 - Recreation Workers.


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