Overview

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 results from the latest year (October 2009 to October 2010) of Sport England’s Active People Survey, which were published last December, the number of adults in England who take part in sport at least three times a week is just below the 7 million mark (6.937 million). The number of men playing sport three times a week has risen to 4.176 million (20.3%), while there has been a decline in this level of participation among females to 2.761 million (12.8%).

The sector is generally divided into:

• sport
• fitness
• playwork
• the outdoors
• caravans

Sport is one of the UK’s largest employment sectors, with a workforce of 371,800 people in paid employment, working in 176,000 businesses and organisations throughout the UK, according to SkillsActive (the Sector Skills Council for the leisure, learning and well-being sector).

The 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. The sector will generally accept relevant Service training and experience, but individuals must be prepared to take additional courses or undergo assessment to reach official standards. Indeed, when many people think of ex-Services personnel going into the fitness business, military PT-based organisations (e.g. ‘boot camps’) 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.
 

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 physical education (PE) in schools. Some are part-time or taken through distance learning, so they are suitable for those 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 further education 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 yet represented on the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).

There are sport and fitness National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQs) at levels 1–3. For the most up-to-date information on these, contact SkillsActive direct (see ‘Key contacts’). 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 recognised fitness instructor qualification (like an NGB coaching or fitness instruction award), then work to gain the necessary experience and build on it by adding one or more of the hundreds of training modules available (such as cardio rehab, circuit training and strength conditioning), to develop their career. Such additional qualifications can enhance professional development as well as lead to greater earning potential.

As mentioned above, PE teachers will have a teaching degree or postgraduate qualification in the subject. The aforementioned REPs is a system of self-regulation for everyone involved in the exercise and fitness industry (again, see box).

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’.

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 the latest edition of SkillsActive’s Working in Fitness Survey (2010), the average basic salary is £21,500 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 – £23,700
• permanent full-time – £21,600 (ranging from £14,500 for a gym instructor (level 2) to £24,100 for management)
• permanent part-time – £14,400.

The highest salaries are earned in senior management roles (an average of £32,800), while the lowest earners are the level 2 occupations of gym instructor and group exercise & aqua instructors at less than £15,100. The level 3 roles range from basic salaries of £18,600 (advanced instructors) to £26,000 (personal trainers).