As Taiwan’s leisure and recreation industry is booming, it is in dire need of a wave of manpower. Therefore, the development of such professional manpower has become an issue of great concern. Generally speaking, there is a significant gap, in terms of both quality and quantity, between supply by the school and demand in the industry. Efforts must be made to bridge that gap through school education and professional certification. On the part of school education, it is important to reengineer conventional standard curriculum and recruit faculty of multiple and abundant professional experiences, so that professional skills gained by students may meet the future need of the market. As to professional certification, although certificates for more than 20 categories are now granted, they are not enough qualitatively and quantitatively to satisfy the market needs. Besides, there is a lack of relevant licensing regulations, unified criteria for certificate authentication, and effective management of certification. As a result, credibility of certificates suffers. The government, academics and industries must join forces to tackle the issue.
Keywords: Leisure and recreation industry, Professional manpower, Professional certificates
1.前言
休閒產業 (leisure and recreation industry) 是一種包含多種休閒關聯事業的集合產業,因其內容與範疇到目前為止各國尚無共識,有依「休閒活動分類」予以界定者;也有依服務產業的「特性」或其「價值活動」來予以界定者,為便於資料之展列,本文爰根據行政院經濟建設委員會2004年12月所發布之的「觀光及運動休閒服務業發展綱領及行動方案」(行政院經濟建設委員會,2004)概分為「觀光產業」及「運動休閒產業」兩部分,分別摘述各該領域的專業人力需求狀況。
相對於觀光產業因「發展觀光條例」予明文界定而有一明確的定義,運動休閒產業在台灣乃一發展中的產業,其範疇迄今尚無一普遍接受的界定標準。以下謹根據官方-行政院體委會於2004年委託研究報告所採用的91年運動產業名錄(林房儹,2003)及行政院主計處的90年工商及服務業普查結果(行政院主計處,2001)將運動休閒服務業予以歸納為運動用品 / 器材批發及零售業、運動場館業、運動及娛樂用品租賃業、運動表演業、運動休閒教育服務業、運動休閒管理顧問業、運動傳播媒體業、職業運動業等八個類別(詳見表2)。其中「運動場館業」近年來蓬勃發展(廠商數已擴及24.3%的總產業家數),尤其是隸屬該分類中的休閒健身運動俱樂部(含健身運動教室、健康中心、俱樂部、健身房等)自1990年代以後,隨著台灣地區國民所得及生活品質的提高,民眾更加重視壓力紓解與養生健康,對於休閒生活的需求也大幅增加,再加上外商搶進台灣的健身運動市場(高俊雄,1996),迄2005年1月止,根據國際健康及運動俱樂部協會(International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association [IHRSA])統計,估計台灣的休閒健身運俱樂部已有220家,參加健身運動俱樂部民估計為455,000人,占台灣總人口比率為2%,總產值為110,000,000美元(約36億新台幣)(IHRSA, 2005)。又由於近年來政府實施產業發展的新政策,例如:行政院於「挑戰2008-國家發展重點計畫」提出觀光客倍增計畫並將運動休閒服務業列為「產業高值化計畫」四大重點產業之一,隨後將觀光及運動休閒服務業列為「服務業發展綱領及行動方案」之12項服務範疇等政策利多的推波助瀾,台灣的休閒產業市場根據民間估計一年約有2千多億元的商機(工作大贏家,2005),自然也帶動相關人力的需求。
International Health, Racquet and Sports club Association (2005). The state of the health club industry: A global perspective; trends, challenges & opportunities, Proposal Presented by John Holsinger, Director, IHRSA Asia Pacific.
World Travel & Tourism Council (2007). Chinese Taipei Travel & Tourism Navigating the Path Ahead. Retrieved 5 October, 2007 from http://www.wttc.travel/bin/pdf/original_pdf_file/chinesetaipei.pdf