Sustainable Career Paths
We believe that retaining NOLS’ best employees is beneficial to both the school and the students that we serve. The life of a NOLS employee can often seem transient, or seasonal, especially with in-town staff and Wilderness Medicine / Expedition faculty. We want to help NOLS create more sustainable career paths for NOLS employees. These ideas include, but are not limited to:
Assign each faculty member a “point person” that they can talk to at HQ twice a year about their career trajectory, their goals for the next year of work, and what opportunities there are for additional NOLS employment.
Introduce a more robust employee onboarding program that connects new employees from across the school together, preferably in-person.
Identify clear career progressions for HQ employees, including skills development, and opportunities for advancement in both responsibilities and wages.
Increasing the number of people in the Annual Faculty Programs (AFP), while reducing the number of required weeks to help prevent “burn-out” from these programs. Additionally, increase the pay of those serving on AFP so that this chosen field can be a financially sustainable career.
Introduce bonuses for faculty willing to work highly in-demand course types, such as adventure courses.
Identify ways for HQ employees to stay connected to the student experience, encouraging them to participate in rendezvouses, field seminars, or wilderness medicine courses.
