Serco Leisure, which operates more than 60 facilities across the UK, has become an employer partner of the sport and physical activity sector's chartered professional body.

Under the partnership, over 250 of Serco’s fitness staff will move into the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)’s affiliate and practitioner memberships for exercise and fitness professionals.

These staff will be listed in the online CIMSPA exercise and fitness directory, with their qualifications recognised by the professional body.

Employer partners only use training providers and products that have been verified by the body as they look to raise workforce skills standards. CIMSPA has more than 60 employer partners in the UK.

Steven Lawrence, Serco Leisure operations director, said: “Our staff are our business. By joining CIMSPA, we’re showing our great team of fitness professionals that we value their development and want them to have industry-recognised qualifications and access to the best CPD around.”

Tara Dillon, CIMSPA chief executive, added: “This is another great milestone for us – having the entire Serco Leisure frontline fitness team come into membership en masse gives CIMSPA a great opportunity to help them build their careers and keep their skillsets up to date with qualifications and CPD approved by the sector’s chartered professional body.

“Serco Leisure have long been supporters of high quality service provision via the Quest scheme, and I congratulate them on committing to similar quality goals for their workforce development.”