A profile of the skills, attributes, development, and employment opportunities for sport scientists in Australia

Abstract

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to document the technical and transferrable skills required for sport scientists, and perceived employment opportunities both currently and in the future with a particular emphasis on comparisons between academic and applied sport scientists. DesignCross-sectional survey methodology. Methods117 Australian sport science employees completed an online survey capturing demographic information, perceptions about the importance of technical skills, transferable skills, future employment opportunities as well as free-text information on future careers, challenges, and opportunities for the profession. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise information and comparisons made between academic and applied sport science participants. ResultsParticipants were predominantly male and 35 years or younger, with half reporting they held only one position within the industry. Most technical and transferrable skills were rated as important (>4.0 out of 5.0), with practitioner-focused skills rated somewhat more important by applied sport scientists compared to scientific-focused skills rated somewhat more important by academics, and applied sport scientists generally rating transferable skills as more important compared to academics (d > 0.5). Value and supply/demand were identified as challenges to the industry with discipline-specific roles and non-elite populations considered areas for future jobs. ConclusionsParticipants felt there would be more jobs in the future and that these would be in discipline-specific roles and/or non-elite populations. Both technical and interpersonal skills were considered important for sport scientists. The greatest challenges are how sport science is valued and the potential oversupply of sport science graduates.