Most youngsters unaware of great job prospects in fitness industry
Despite the impressive job prospects on offer in the growing fitness industry and repeated reports of growing unemployment, many careers advisors are not directing job seekers into the fitness sector where there is a growing demand for fitness instructors and personal trainers.
This disappointing finding from Lifetime, the fitness industry’s number one training provider, comes as recent news reports state one in five teenagers receiving their GCSE results this week could be receiving unemployment benefits by the time they are 21.
Of the people questioned in the Lifetime survey, 88 per cent said that a career in fitness had never been suggested to them as a viable opportunity, yet 23 per cent would have been interested in finding out more about such a career had it been identified as a possibility.
“Given that only one in six companies are planning to hire school-leavers in the coming months**, it is a real shame that more students are not being made aware of the fantastic training opportunities which are currently available to them in the thriving fitness industry,” says Heather Frankham, CEO of Lifetime.
The survey also revealed that almost half of those questioned (46 per cent) are under the false illusion that GCSEs, A Levels and even degrees are a requirement to becoming a fitness instructor or personal trainer. In reality, youngsters from the age of 16 are eligible to train on a fitness instructor apprenticeship programme with no formal academic qualifications necessary.
Hundreds of young people across the country have already been helped into employment by Lifetime, which was awarded ‘Centre of Excellence for Fitness for National Employers’ by the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure. Individuals wanting to train to become a fitness instructor can become work-ready in less than three weeks and many often start earning on-the-job soon after that.
Heather continues: “Apprenticeships have seen a huge revival this year as more and more government money is being invested in on-the-job training. The fitness instructing and personal training programmes available through the Centre of Excellence for Fitness are therefore fantastic opportunities for enthusiastic school leavers to train for a rewarding and exciting career with the opportunity to work for one of the industry’s largest employers.
“With a big drive towards getting the nation more active through initiatives like Change4Life, the fitness sector is forecast to continue growing. This is backed up by recent research from the Leisure Database Company which reports that the industry’s market value has seen a 3 per cent increase on the previous 12 months despite the general economic downturn. So this is great news for youngsters who want a secure job with opportunities to grow and progress.”
For more information about a career in fitness, visit www.personalabouttraining.co.uk, call 0870 702 7273 or text FITNESS 9 to 80039.
