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10TH ANNIVERSARY
A decade of fitness
To mark the 10th Anniversary of REPs, the Journal asked key industry figures what they think the highlights of the past decade have been, what trends they’ve loved (and hated) and what REPs means to them…
Craig Knox, General Manager of Industry Development at Fitness Australia
“I think the greatest change to the industry over the past decade has been related to personal training. Be it large centre-based, smaller studio-based or mobile, personal training services have created an opportunity for the industry to deliver a tailored service to consumers across a variety of new delivery settings.
“From my perspective, I can see that the emergence and development of REPs in the UK has had a similarly positive effect on industry as has been the case in Australia. It has provided a regulatory system for the industry and consumers with a means to identify a professional’s credentials that is quality-assured and has direct relevance to the services provided. For employers, the system provides a reference for staff recruitment and retention, for the professional it provides proof of current competency for employment and for the consumer it provides quality assurance.”
REPS chairman John Greenway
“When I agreed to become REPs chairman in February 2002 just 3,000 fitness professionals were ready to join the new register. Our target was 13,000 members. The support of Government, the FIA and the industry’s training organisation SPRITO, which later became SkillsActive, was invaluable to achieving our goals and providing vital financial support in those early days.
“The thought that REPs would grow to nearly 28,000 members was beyond our wildest dreams. But we cannot afford to stop there. I want to see REPs grow further and a target of 40,000 registered fitness professionals is realistic and essential to furthering the vision of More People, More Active, More Often.
“The key to REPs success is standards in which the public, and increasingly the medical profession, can have confidence. We will continue to develop those standards and help REPs members meet and validate their CPD obligations. Be proud to be a REPs member and part of the world’s biggest register of fitness professionals.”