The Sector Skills Council for active leisure and learning, SkillsActive, has formally launched Exercise Council Wales and the Welsh arm of the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).

Launched by SkillsActive at the Welsh Skills Conference on 8 November, Exercise Council Wales will bring together key players involved in the development of health and fitness activity throughout Wales and will homogenise the infrastructure of the Welsh exercise sector.

The Welsh REPs – which uses a process of self-regulation – was launched in conjunction with Exercise Council Wales. Already a UK-wide organisation, its introduction in Wales is primarily aimed at helping to contribute towards professionalising the exercise and fitness sector throughout Wales.

Following an extensive consultation period, SkillsActive has also launched new national occupational standards in association with sportsofficialsUK (SOUK) in order to standardise the role of the sports official. The standards have been accepted and agreed by a wide range of sports across the UK.

A series of booklets, also in partnership with SOUK and Coachwise, will be published which address the issues of sports officiating, beginning with An Introduction to Sports Officiating.

In a separate launch, SkillsActive has also debuted its fully interactive website as part of an ongoing extension of its careers offering. Developed over the past 18 months, part of the website includes a virtual advisor called Dougie who will instantly respond to any question asked about career options.

The interactive site joins the existing SkillsActive Careers initiative, which was launched earlier this year in July. Details: www.skillsactive.com/careers