Celebrating 25 years of the great outdoors at Solent
This year, Southampton Solent University is celebrating 25 years of outdoor adventure and maritime-related courses.
As part of the celebrations, industry, alumni, staff and students had the opportunity to hear about how the course programme started, current successes and exciting new developments at a special event on Friday 17 January.
Guest speakers from the worlds of sailing, ski and outdoor education spoke about their experiences, successes and the future of their industries.
Broadcaster, writer and founder of Survival School Ltd, Jonny Crockett, gave tips on ‘surviving the industry’; Pip Tyler overseas director at Neilson, spoke about how to become an award winning tour operator; and alumni Glyn Brackenbury shared his successes in outdoor education at Skern Lodge.
Ian Harris, Director of Sport,Tourism and Languages at the university, has been driving course developments in this area for the last 20 years. He says: “Solent’s success in this field is its ability to stay ahead of the game and ensure that courses meet both student expectations and the demands of a fast-moving industry.”
The attraction of outdoor and adventure pursuits continues to contribute billions to the global economy. The European Outdoor Group (2011) has identified continued growth in the outdoor market with estimated annual turnover of over €40 billion in Europe.
Keeping pace with industry developments, Solent has continued to deliver a wide range of courses over the years including specialist courses in maritime leisure and water sports through to adventure and extreme sports.
“Living in a society increasingly obsessed with health and safety, more people are looking for adventure in their leisure pursuits,” says Ian, a keen sailor.
“This anniversary aims to celebrate the history, development and success of our maritime and outdoor courses, and showcase our vision for the future of this exciting area of study.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE MEDIA OFFICE ON 023 8031 9040 or press.office@solent.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About Southampton Solent University
Southampton Solent University offers more than 23,000 students over 200 qualifications ranging from HND to PhD, in subjects such as maritime education and training, fashion and design, media and television, music, health, sport and leisure, business, IT and technology. The university was awarded the 2013 Quality Assurance kitemark for quality and standards of teaching and learning. Solent was voted one of the most creative universities in the UK in a Which? University 2013 poll of students.
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