Here are some of the main areas within this thriving industry – you can take a vocational route into any of them.

Exercise & Fitness
This is about helping people stay fit and healthy, and includes roles like personal trainer, fitness instructor, yoga instructor and swimming teacher. You could work for a gym or leisure centre, or be self-employed and choose your own hours. All types of people need fitness instructors, from children to the elderly or high level athletes.

Coaching
Coaches are needed to teach skills and techniques at all levels, from beginner to professional. They help teams and individuals train to reach their full potential. Coaches need to get a special qualification recognised by their sport’s national governing body. These roles vary greatly depending on the sport and skill level, volunteering is a good way to get started in this career.

Playwork
Playworkers organise and lead play activities for children (aged between 4 and 15) in after-school clubs, play schemes and youth clubs. This is one of the job roles in which you can use take a Foundation Degree to get ahead.

Activity Leadership
Outdoor activity instructors help people enjoy themselves in the great outdoors. They lead a wide range of expeditions and trips, such as walking, hiking, canoeing and rock climbing. You need good people and leadership skills, and to be a natural with young people to be a successful activity leader.

Spectator Control
Event stewards and marshals make sure crowds are safe and under control at matches and other large events. You can do an NVQ in spectator safety, some of the key areas include: teamwork, conflict management and dealing with emergencies.

Operations
It takes all sorts of people to run a leisure centre or gym, from leisure centre assistants and managers to cleaning and maintenance staff. Sports management can include anything from making sure the facilities are maintained properly to making sure everything financial is in order too.

What will I earn?
For all of these areas, salaries start around £12,000 and can rise to £25,000 with experience and qualifications. Senior staff could earn more than £30,000.

Get qualified!

How to get your foot in the door…

Apprenticeships
The Apprenticeship in active leisure and learning covers a wide range of career paths, whether you’d like to coach, be a fitness instructor, lead outdoor activities or run a leisure centre. You’ll learn on the job while attending a college or training provider on day release, and earn the right qualifications that will help you progress. So even though this is the only level 2 Apprenticeship framework in the sector it can take you a number of directions, such as Active Leisure and Learning.

Advanced Apprenticeships
Advanced Apprenticeships are equivalent to A Levels, but like Apprenticeships are advantageous for practical roles. Advanced Apprenticeships help you become more qualified whilst gaining employment experience. Here are the Apprenticeship frameworks relevant to the sector, all of these result in level 3 qualifications such as NVQs or Diplomas:

•      • Active Leisure and Learning
•      • Facilities Management
•      • Sporting Excellence

A Levels
A Levels can either lead to university or a Foundation Degree, which are explained below, but which ones are right for you depend on what role you want to do. As there are so many varied careers in the industry, from coaching to operations, no single subject is right for everyone, but here are some which could set you in the right direction:

•      • Biology (Human)
•      • Leisure Studies
•      • Sport and Physical Education

Foundation Degrees
A Foundation Degree is a higher education qualification which combines academic study with practical hands-on experience. Designed jointly by universities, colleges and employers, they should give you the right skills to be ready for employment.

They are university-level qualifications and are equivalent to the first two years of an Honours Degree. A typical full-time Foundation Degree takes two years to complete, and are different from Honours Degrees as they usually involve learning in the workplace as well as at university or college. They can be done in playwork and youth studies.

A successful career for Tom

In just one year, Tom Waterworth went from A-level drop-out to launching a successful career.
The Castleford 18-year-old found his A-level course in sports science too theoretical and was struggling to see a clear route into employment.
But things changed when he signed up for Lifetime’s funded apprenticeship in fitness instruction.
Tom said: “It was great to be studying in an adult environment. What’s more, there was plenty of gym-based, practical work, so I knew my job prospects would be much better upon finishing the course.”
After just a week’s voluntary work placement, Tom was offered a full time, paid position as a fitness instructor. So keen to progress in his new career, Tom is currently completing a work-based qualification in personal training and has recently secured a new job as a Personal Trainer with Fitness First. “I’m now doing what I always wanted to do.”

Lifetime Fitness Academy and to book your place, call 0870 120 1207 today! www.lifetimetraining.co.uk/looking-for-a-job

London Focus

Over 70,000 people are employed in this sector in London; this includes 12% of the UK’s practicing coaches, that’s around 143,000 people. The sector is about to get bigger too, the world’s biggest sporting event- The Olympic Games- is going to be held in London in 2012; they’re going to need a lot of employees to keep it running smoothly!

Fast Facts
• There are over 70,000 sport and fitness sector employees in London
• There are around 3,600 workplaces in this sector based here
• 30% of establishments have a vacancy

Start learning!
Want to find a Sport & Fitness course in London? Then register your email address for our regular newsletters or check out our links page for the region. It will help you find out who’s offering what course or vacancy in your local area.

Useful links

www.skillsactive.com - the Sector Skills Council for this sector
www.careers-in-sport.co.uk – learn about different careers in sport here