The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), in partnership with Utah State University (USU) and Western Colorado University (WCU), has launched select courses from its Outdoor Industry Business Certificate (OIBC) program. The OIBC offers a suite of continuing education certificates tailored to outdoor industry professionals and those looking to start a career in the outdoor industry. The launch was expedited in response to COVID-19 which has impacted the outdoor industry jobs market. Courses are offered at a significantly reduced price through the end of 2020.“Outdoor Industry Association is dedicated to supporting our members and the industry through these difficult times, and we saw launching these courses ahead of schedule as one way to do that,” said Kristen Freaney, director of the emerging leaders programs at OIA. “We know that layoffs, furloughs, a changing job landscape, and a more competitive job market are a few of the challenging economic impacts of COVID-19. The ability to upskill or re-skill at an affordable price is critical for people who are trying to enter, find a new role in, or adapt to changing demands in the outdoor industry workforce.”USH is offering a certificate in Sustainable Product Design and Supply Chain. Faculty from its Outdoor Product Design and Development program, many with outdoor industry work experience, will teach courses on the circular economy, integrating sustainability into business practices, creative team dynamics, and sustainable supply chain strategies. Students who complete the program will gain fluency in current sustainability issues impacting the outdoor industry.“We are excited to be able to bring this certificate and the body of knowledge it represents to the outdoor industry through the collaborative efforts and partnership of USU and OIA. This opportunity is bringing the best parts of academia, industry experience and multidisciplinary collaboration together to develop relevant content that can help those both in and out of industry to drive real change,” said Dr. Andrew Deceuster, associate professor and program director at Utah State University’s Outdoor Product Design and Development program.
WCU Outdoor Industry Business Certificate will focus on responsible business in the outdoor industry. Faculty from its MBA program will teach courses in marketing and brand strategy, leadership, socially responsible products to market and understanding and integrating inclusiv principles in the workplace. The remaining two courses in the WCU certificate will be available in Fall 2020.
“We are proud to partner with OIA and deliver courses to further refine responsible business practices in our industry. It is vital that we all support each other in these challenging times”, said Dr. D. Scott Borden, director, Outdoor Industry MBA, assistant professor in the School of Business at Western Colorado University. “We hope participants will gain new skills to accelerate their careers, investing in themselves and our outdoor communities.”
Courses are online and self-paced. There are no required prerequisites for the certificates. Learn more here.
