Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13747)           
UK only International

Number of leisure qualifications falls for second successive year

By Tom Walker    05 Aug 2016
The qualifications have been developed in collaboration with major employers and training providers from the active leisure sector

The number of training qualifications awarded across the leisure, travel and tourism sector has fallen for the second year running, according to official government statistics.

The Annual Qualifications Market Report shows that the number of leisure-related certificates (other than GCSE, AS and A level) awarded during 2014-15 fell to 424,400 – a drop of 11 per cent from the 475,000 seen in 2013-14. It is a further fall from the 548,200 awards handed out in 2012-13.

The training landscape within the leisure, travel and tourism is dominated by the top five awarding organisations, which between them hand out 71 per cent of all certificates in the sector.

Pearson Education remains the sector’s largest awarding organisation with a total of 145,000 certificates (34 per cent market share), followed by 1st4sport Qualifications (57,500, 14 per cent), Sports Leaders UK (53,500, 13 per cent), Active IQ (41,900, 10 per cent) and Institute of Qualified Lifeguards (26,000, 6 per cent).

In total, there are now 47 awarding organisations operating across leisure, travel and tourism, with 38 of those offering certificates.

In the fitness sector, Active IQ is the dominant force with 69 per cent of the market, up 5 per cent on 2015. For Level 3 personal trainer qualifications, Active IQ now holds a 74 per cent market share.

Jenny Patrickson, Active IQ managing director, said: “Over the last 12 months we have continued to engage extensively with the sector and strengthened relationships with training providers and key stakeholders as well as a wide range of employers and operators so our qualifications remain highly valued and fit for purpose.

“Thanks to our awareness of educational reform, we have also ensured that vocational qualification provision and supporting learning resources remain future-proofed to maintain government funding with an extensive range of high quality digital learning solutions.”

Julian Leybourne, CEO of training provider Icon Training, says the fall in the number of awards handed out is a sign that the leisure sector has to rethink the way qualifications are structured.

“There needs to be a greater strategic picture in terms of what the skills needs are for the sector – as opposed to what qualifications are available,” Leybourne told Health Club Management.

“More focus needs to be on what the appropriate level of competence should be in order to provide an upward trajectory on a clear career pathway, how those skills need to be delivered with respect to blended learning and which of the qualifications are actually relevant to suit the needs of employers on the relevant pathway.

“I think there almost certainly needs to be a cull of availability of qualifications – due to the high proportion of overlap – and questions need to be asked of relevancy and currency, because it shouldn’t be all about quantity, it should be about quality, relevance and being fit for purpose.

“The sector needs to decide what is fit for purpose, what is current and what is relevant – and what is appropriate to fill the skill gaps which currently exist in the sector.”

The fall in the number of leisure awards mirrors an overall decline in training numbers. In total, across all UK industry sectors, the number of certificates awarded in 2014-15 fell by 3 per cent to just under 16 million.

According to Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation), the fall was driven primarily by changes in school entry patterns and “accountability frameworks”.

To download and read the full Annual Qualifications Market Report, click here.

Training  leisure  awards  certificates 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Sports jobs

Fitness Instructor

University of Brighton
Salary: £23,144 to £25,138pa
Location: Moulsecoomb, Brighton and Hove, Brighton, UK

Duty Manager

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Clevedon

Swim Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Bristol

Team Leader

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive salary, excellent benefits
Location: Bristol

Duty/Operations Manager

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive salary
Location: Bristol

Swimming Teacher (Saturdays)

New Hall School
Salary: £3,768pa (for 5hrs term-time saturdays)
Location: Boreham, Chelmsford, UK

Recreation Assistant

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive salary
Location: Romford

Commercial Fitness Manager

Warrington Borough Council
Salary: £46,464 - £49,497pa + excellent benefits package
Location: Warrington, UK

Exercise Referral Co-ordinator

Everyone Active
Salary: £Excellent salary + benefits
Location: Horfield, Bristol, UK
recruiting with sports management

Sport Centre Team Leader

Harrow School
Salary: £29,500pa + pension + benefits
Location: Harrow, UK

Team Leader BSV

Everyone Active
Salary: £26,175.00
Location: Basildon

Lifeguard/Recreation Assistant

Everyone Active
Salary: £23,856
Location: Basildon

Casual Swim Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: £18.50 per hour
Location: Basildon

Team Leader

Everyone Active
Salary: £25,925.00
Location: Brentwood

Lifeguard/Recreation Assistant

Everyone Active
Salary: £23,856
Location: Brentwood

Leisure Centre Deputy Manager

Colfe's School
Salary: £Competitive + pension + benefits
Location: Blackheath, London, UK
recruiting with sports management

Duty Manager

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Middlesbrough

Duty Manager Golf and Athletics

Active Luton
Salary: £30,027pa + non-contrib pension + benefits
Location: Stockwood Park Golf Club, London Road, Luton, UK

Centre Manager (Leisure)

Exeter City Council
Salary: £40,221 - £42,403pa + pension + benefits
Location: Exeter, UK

Fitness Motivator

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Lutterworth

Recreation Assistant/Lifeguard (NPLQ required)

Everyone Active
Salary: 9.50 ph
Location: Lutterworth

Swimming Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive rates of pay
Location: Rickmansworth, UK

Swimming Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive rates of pay
Location: Watford, UK
training with sports management
Swimming Teacher jobs  duty manager jobs  Team Leader jobs  recreation assistant jobs  Swim Manager jobs  general manager jobs 
More jobs

Company profile

Company profile: Active IQ
The UK’s leading Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation for the physical activity sector, we offer over 100 accredited qualifications in a variety of disciplines from Entry-Level to Level 5.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

W3Fit EMEA’s innovative programme sets sail for Sardinia, Italy
Following a hugely successful event last year in Split, Croatia, W3Fit EMEA, is heading to the Chia Laguna resort in Sardinia from 8-11 October.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
30 May - 02 Jun 2024
Rimini Exhibition Center, Rimini, Italy
08-08 Jun 2024
Worldwide, Various
11-13 Jun 2024
Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore, Singapore
More diary dates