The Assessment of Transferable Skills in a Campus Recreation Program: An Exploratory Case Study on how Professionals Teach and how Student Employees Learn

Abstract

Recently, two leading organizations on student experiences in colleges and universities (i.e., NACA and NIRSA) issued a call for increased scholarship in the area of transferable work skills (identified by NACE) in student employees within campus recreation programs. An exploratory case study was conducted to provide insight into what student employees learn and what campus recreation staff teach (in regards to these transferable skills) at a campus recreation program at a midsized regional university in the southwestern United States. Data were collected via a survey of both student employees and professional staff concerning the opportunities to learn these skills. Focus groups were also conducted. The results demonstrate that student workers learn through doing. Aquatics was one key area identified where staff clearly teach and student employees must learn transferable skills. The results suggest that student employees need to be provided with opportunities to critically reflect on skills gained.