INDUSTRY NEWS As part of our commitment

to quality-assure and regulate training SkillsActive has launched a new training portal “Quality Training” which is free to REPs members.

As well as allowing registered instructors and trainers to log their interest, the portal also offers multiple search options. For example you can search by subject matter, region, postcode, cost, or qualification level.

Another unique feature of the portal is that it encourages learning that is transferable across the sector – so if you

SkillsActive News Bringing More Training To You

SkillsActive’s Head of Endorsement Tom Bell writes about a new way to search for approved training.

are an instructor who has a qualification in teaching fitness to children you could search for courses that would qualify you to work in the playwork sector as well.

More than 600 training providers are on the portal and each course listed has been endorsed by SkillsActive, meaning it will be loggable on activepassport™.

As a personal trainer I know how important it is to get the best value for money possible from a training course – both in terms of content and relevance. As well as verifying that a course is safe and well-researched, SkillsActive endorsement (and therefore listing on the SkillsActive Training Portal), also means that the syllabus meets current National Occupational

Standards upon which the entry structure for REPs is based.

For more information go to www.qualitytraining. skillsactive.com.

ukactive Advises Group Exercise Instructors Not To Get Caught Out By PPL Reforms

From 1st May 2013, the responsibility for holding a valid PPL license for music played in group exercise classes will lie with the operators of fitness centres, rather than the instructors themselves.

However, fitness instructors will still be required to hold a valid PPL licence for any classes that they operate on premises other than fitness centres (e.g. hired halls, offices). These changes are coming into play as part PPL’s reformed Exercise to Music Tariff.

Following four years of negotiations on behalf of the fitness sector, ukactive (formerly the Fitness Industry Association) reached an agreement with PPL in September last year, which represents a considerable reduction on the initial fees demanded by PPL at the start of the negotiation. Instead of a sudden rise in fees, the tariff will increase gradually over a five year period.

David Stalker, CEO of ukactive said: “By making operators liable for music played on the premises, any confusion over whether it is the instructor visiting the site, or the site itself that needs a license is removed. It will make the application and collection of PPL a much easier process overall.

“Any fitness instructor holding a group exercise class in a gym or leisure centre needs to be aware that recouping the costs of any

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session that requires a licence will be at the discretion of the operator. Those instructors that work freelance and hold their own licence will, at some point, need to hand over the details to the operator, or operators, of the sites in which they work. This is to avoid an overlap between the licence renewal for the operator and the instructor.

“Any licence purchased by both the instructor and operator under the current tariff, prior to 1st May 2013, will run through to expiry and will remain valid for its annual period. However, if the operator’s licence expires before the instructors, adjustments will be made to their licence to include for the classes run by fitness instructors for the period between the start of the centre’s licence and the expiry of your licence. When your licence expires you must assess your licence requirements under the new tariff.

The changes in the Exercise to Music Tariff will have a long term impact on our sector as a whole. ukactive will continue to support the sector through this transition, to ensure that exercise class providers can meet this new tariff without having to compromise on the delivery of their services.”

For more information about the reforms visit www.ukactive.com or www.PPLuk.com

The REPs Journal 2013;27(May):8-9