Sports / Fitness & Leisure

The UK has relatively low public spending on sport, with obesity and heart attack rates well above those of comparable countries. Indeed diets, gastric bands, cosmetic surgery and financial incentives to lose weight are signs of what many doctors call an obesity epidemic. Despite this, according to the latest edition of Sport England’s Active People Survey (which ran until October 2009), the number of adults in England who take part in sport at least three times a week has reached 6.93 million; athletics and cycling have each achieved increases of over 100,000 participants in the past year; and the number of men playing sport three times a week has risen by 176,000 to 4.203 million.

THE SECTOR AT A GLANCE

18 million adults participate in sport and active recreation, which is 21% of the adult population

1.2 million sports coaches in the UK, of which 70% are volunteers

1.9 million people volunteer in sport for at least 1 hour per week

673,100 estimated number of people employed in the sector in the UK

This article will focus on the first two of these.

Sport and recreation is one of the UK’s largest employment sectors, with a workforce of 673,100 people in paid employment – spread across the public, private and voluntary sectors – according to SkillsActive (the Sector Skills Council for the active leisure and learning industry).

The health and fitness industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK economy. It focuses on the supervision of exercise and physical activity. The UK has thousands of fitness clubs, leisure centres and gyms for public use, and there is an increasing demand for skilled exercise professionals to fill the growing employment vacancies.

Sport and fitness skills gained in the Services
Sport is a very tough area to break into in any capacity, and it takes talent, hard work and some luck to succeed. Loss of form or injury can bring a career to a premature end, so participants should also be prepared for early retirement. Service courses on coaching and officiating can lead to recognised civilian qualifications.

Each Service has its PT instructors, although each operates very differently in this field. Military PTI class 1, 2 and 3, and the All Arms PTI certificates qualify holders to join the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS – see box), and there is growing formal recognition for military qualifications by civilian authorities. Vocational qualifications and assessor and verifier units are being introduced, with job analysis to enhance accreditation. The sector will generally accept relevant Service training and experience, but individuals must be prepared to take additional courses or assessment to reach official standards. Indeed, when many people think of ex-Services personnel going into the fitness business, military PT-based organisations are the first to spring to mind, with their outdoor fitness classes run by serving or former members of the Armed Forces. There are courses available that are specially tailored to Service leavers wishing to take up such roles.

The situation is similar in outdoor education and development. The various regulatory bodies only accept civilian qualifications, so Armed Forces’ adventurous training instructors will have to ensure that they meet civilian standards if they wish to continue in this area on leaving the Services.

MORE ABOUT REPS
The Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) creates a framework that allows people to achieve recognised standards linked to industry best practice. Qualifications and training are nationally recognised and linked to national occupational standards (NOS). REPs members:

have the proper qualifications
are competent
carry out their own continuing professional development
are properly insured
obey an industry code of practice.

There are currently four levels of REPs registration. Level 1 is Student – such members are not yet qualified and must be supervised by a qualified member of staff at all times. The routes to entry for REPS Level 2, Fitness Instructor – which covers water-based exercise, exercise to music, and gym – are through qualification (e.g. NVQs/SVQs) based on the NOS and delivered by training providers; some people can translate military qualifications on this route. REPs Level 3, Advanced Instructor, covers advanced fitness instruction, advanced group exercise to music, exercise movement & dance partnership teacher (EMDP), personal training, pilates, yoga and exercise referrals; routes for entry are through qualification and holding a level 3 NVQ/SVQ or vocationally related qualification obtained through achieving certain industry awards. REPs Level 4, Specialist Instructor, is awarded to individuals who can demonstrate that they have met the level 4 national occupational standards in one or more medical areas, completing and passing one of a list of approved qualifications.
To find out more, visit www.exerciseregister.org

Qualifications and training
There are many different qualifications that help with a career in sport and fitness. Technical ability is critical, as are skills like effective communication, customer care, teamwork and interpersonal experience.

Many sport and recreation-related foundation, graduate and postgraduate degrees allow people to teach PE in schools. Some are part-time or taken through distance learning, so they are suitable for people already in employment. Higher national diplomas (HNDs) and certificates (HNCs) also prepare people for management jobs, although expertise in a particular sport or area of fitness is also required.

Some FE colleges offer specialist qualifications, and sports coach UK (formerly the National Coaching Foundation) works with the various sport national governing bodies (NGBs) to provide personal development programmes for all sports coaches, although many are not represented on the national qualifications framework or the new qualifications and credit framework.

There are sport and recreation National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQs):

at level 1 there is only one qualification, which is an introduction to the sector and a pathway into the specific S/NVQs at level 2
at level 2, the options are activity leadership; coaching, teaching, instructing (a specific approved sport or activity); instructing exercise and fitness; playwork; spectator control; operational services; sport and play installations; and mechanical ride operations
at level 3, the options are outdoor education; development training and recreation; coaching, teaching, instructing; operations and development; playwork; and spectator control.

Individuals are assessed in a number of competencies in the workplace, with most qualifications requiring six mandatory units and four optional ones. To gain them, individuals will need a portfolio of skills and responsibilities. Many people start by gaining a qualification like an NGB coaching or fitness instruction award, and then work to gain the necessary experience.

In the exercise and fitness industry, physical education teachers will have a teaching degree or postgraduate qualification in PE. The aforementioned Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) is a system of self-regulation for everyone involved with exercise and fitness (again, see box).

Skills shortages in the industry

Research undertaken by SkillsActive identifies that there are particular recruitment difficulties and skills issues facing employers in the sports, fitness and outdoors sub-sector, with the following job roles considered particularly hard to fill:

sporting officials (paid and voluntary)
coaches, teachers, instructors and activity leaders (paid and voluntary)
operational help (volunteers).

The most common skills in need of improvement among existing staff were identified as:

sport-specific technical skills
communication
management
child protection.

Research undertaken to explore the impact of the current recession, identifies two key skill areas that employers commonly identify as important in times of recession, namely management and leadership, and customer service.

Source: SkillsActive

Employment in the sector
Coaching, teaching and instructing
Most coaching is voluntary, with a growing trend towards part-time or freelance employment. Work is available as a voluntary coach within sports clubs or as a part-time session coach in leisure centres. Many coaches work freelance for a number of organisations, but most have other jobs as well.

Coaching may also form part of a full-time job role in the industry, like a sports development officer or outdoor instructor. Coaches need an appropriate qualification from a sport NGB, and many of the personal qualities of the coach are ‘people skills’.

The outdoors
There are many organisations providing all age groups with a range of sporting, physical and development activities, like walking, climbing and caving, or just enjoying their surroundings. Instructors must hold a recognised award from the relevant NGB. Expedition companies usually have a small head office staff who organise and market the activities, and a number of freelance leaders and guides who manage things in the field. Service experience is relevant in this area, and it is common to start as a contracted expedition manager before joining a company in a regular capacity.

Facility management
Sport, recreation and leisure centres catering for a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports exist throughout the UK. Employment varies from receptionists, lifeguards, coaches/instructors, supervisors, booking managers and plant technicians to centre managers. Most people start in this area by obtaining coaching or lifeguard awards, and gaining experience before moving into management.

Stadia and arena
Stadia and arena facilities cater for a range of sporting, entertainment and leisure events. Most employment in this area tends to be part-time, working on event days. As with facility management, a number of different jobs exist, including managers and administrators, groundsmen, stewards and ticket/booking operators.

Sports development
Most local authorities and governing bodies have sports development teams that provide sport and recreation on an outreach basis, taking it into rural and urban communities. Experience in voluntary sports coaching and administration or strategic leisure management is relevant. Specific sports development qualifications and courses exist at certificate and diploma levels; however, coaching awards are usually sufficient.

Salaries
The sport and fitness sector is not particularly well paid, starting with the minimum wage. According to SkillsActive’s Working in Fitness Survey (2009), the average basic salary is £20,300 across all occupations working in permanent or self-employment. However, this varies widely according to the type of work, as the following examples of annual salaries in the fitness workforce demonstrate:

self-employed/freelancer – £22,900
permanent full-time – £20,400 (ranging from £13,800 for a gym instructor (level 2) to £28,800 for senior management)
permanent part-time – £12,900.

The highest salaries are earned in senior management roles (an average of £26,700), while the lowest earners are the level 2 occupations of gym instructor and group exercise & aqua instructors at less than £15,000. The level 3 roles range between basic salaries of £17,500 (advanced instructors) and £25,600 (personal trainers).

KEY CONTACTS

Department for Culture Media & Sport, 2–4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH Tel: 020 7211 6000 Website: www.culture.gov.uk

SkillsActive, Castlewood House, 77–91 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DG Tel: 020 7632 2000 Website: www.skillsactive.com

sports coach UK, 114 Cardigan Road, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3BJ Tel: 0113 274 4802 Website: www.sportscoachuk.org

Register of Exercise Professionals, 3rd Floor, 8–10 Crown Hill, Croydon, Surrey CR0 1RZ Tel: 020 8686 6464 Website: www.exerciseregister.org