Camp is STILL Necessary for the Future Workforce: According to Forbes
January 2, 2023
The fact is, not everyone who works at a summer camp will go on to have a career in camping. However, another fact is that everyone can benefit from working at a summer camp, and those benefits can have lasting, deep impacts on a career.
Since 1917, Forbes magazine has had its finger on the pulse of the business world. Over the past few years, they’ve published a lot focused on what employers seek in potential workers. Look for pieces like “15 Skills Employers Seek in 2022 (And Ways To Gain Them Midcareers)” or “HR Leaders Share 14 In-Demand Skills Employers Want in 2021”, and you’ll see camp everywhere. The same skills that keep popping up are those we champion as organically built into working at a camp.
This past August, Forbes published “The Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills For the Next 10 Years”, and once again, familiar camp skillsets make the list. Not only that, these camp skills dominate the top ten:
- Digital Literacy
- Data Literacy
- Critical Thinking
- Emotional Intelligence
- Creativity
- Collaboration
- Flexibility
- Leadership Skills
- Time Management
- Curiosity and Continuous Learning
We could make a strong argument that camp goes 10 for 10 on this list (we have camps that specialize in all things digital), but we’ll graciously say that after the first two, the remainder are 100% camp.
Most camp counselors will go on to have jobs where they must work with others while also juggling spouses, partners, hobbies, and/or kids. There’s no textbook or TikTok video that can teach the skills identified above. These are sharpened by trial and error, and at camp they grow throughout the crucible of summer as a down payment for future success.
Again, not everyone who learns the songs, wears the shirts, and cries on departure day will be back at camp again. But when done with curiosity, empathy, an open mind and an adventurous spirit, every person who takes a chance and works at camp can and will be changed for good.
The American Camp Association’s Project Real Job has tools and resources to help communicate the benefits of working at camp.