Preparing recreation professionals: graduate attributes expected of entry-level recreation professionals in a South African context

The unemployment rate of graduate students in South Africa (SA) has increased more than 4% in the past 10 years. This increase can be ascribed to the current economic situation as well as the unemployability of these students. The focus was to determine the graduate attributes (skills and competencies that make students employable) required in entry-level recreation professionals in SA. A ranking-type Delphi study design was used, consisting of three iterations. Ten experts from the public, non-profit and private recreation sectors whose organizations employ entry-level recreation professionals were asked to rank the graduate attributes most required in students, and evaluate the relevance of graduate attributes for a SA context. Data were analzsed using descriptive statistics and inductive coding. Passion for the profession, trainability and a willingness to learn and communication skills were the top-ranked attributes. Clear differences were found in the expectations from SA graduates compared with United States graduates. Creativity, ability to work with groups and conflict management were added for the SA context. These results clarified what is expected of graduates entering recreation careers in SA, and it is therefore crucial that institutions preparing recreation students focus on these attributes in their programmes to enhance graduate employability.