The Current State of Certification in Canada
BY STÉPHANE COVA
pause and take stock of where we are as a nation in terms of standards for certifica- tion of fitness professionals. In my past role as Can-Fit-Pro’s certification director, it was one of my missions to help the in- dustry collaboratively develop a single set of national standards. It is worthwhile to quickly examine
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some of the history behind fitness certifi- cation standards in Canada. Pre-2002, when annual federal
health funding contributions ended, the National Fitness Leadership Advisory Committee (NFLAC), a voluntary mem- bership advisory group comprised of the most prominent not-for-profit and com- mercial certifying agencies at the time (which today would be roughly the same organizations), held the consensus na- tional standards for group fitness instruc- tors including the use of common theory and practical exams. Upon dissolution, NFLAC created a set
of standards for resistance training in- structors. Since then, the provincial fit- ness agencies have assumed stewardship of the NFLAC standards under the name National Fitness Leadership Alliance and have continued to revise these standards. During this same period, between
2002 and today, other organizations (in- cluding the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and the Fitness Standards Council) have pronounced themselves as holding the national standard for fitness professionals. There are many certifica- tion agencies which belong to neither of these organizations, but do business na- tionally or internationally. In the U.S., certifying bodies have
tried to align themselves with third par- ty accrediting agencies, (for example, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the U.S. Department of Education) to rise above their competitors in a crowded certification marketplace. An international effort led by the
European Health & Fitness Association (EHFA) has begun to link countries that
s you peruse Fitness Business Canada’s 2009 “Canadian Certification and Training Directory,” it is interesting to
have like approaches to educating and training fitness professionals under a sin- gle set of international standards. This approach offers international transfer- ability and transparency for both fitness professionals and consumers. Entering the EHFA ranks takes time, money, ef- fort, patience and a willingness to adapt, but this investment may pay off to those who are successful. There is still a wide range of disagree-
ment among certification and education providers about what national standards should be in place in Canada. Despite this fact, our industry has begun to be proactive rather than reactive. Many certifying agencies are shoring up their weaknesses and improving the ways they market their strengths to their traditional markets. Thanks, in large part to a wealth of online information, employers and consumers are more likely than ever to ask about certification credentials. As a consumer and industry stake-
holder at other levels, I would like to see the industry continue to regulate itself. The alternative is to wait for govern- ment legislation that would force a set of standards on the industry. This would invariably impact prices and likely cause shortfalls in the supply of qualified fit- ness professionals to meet an ever- increasing demand. As in other industries, our long range
success rests on the great people who work with the public every day by help- ing them achieve their goals and provid- ing a positive fitness experience. Let’s be sure they have job stability and good in- come earning opportunities so that they stay in the field and support the indus- try’s future growth.
Stéphane Cova, BSc Kinesiology, MBA, Can-Fit- Pro PTS and CSEP CEP-certified, is the partnership and relationship manager for the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa and works as an independent consultant. He was pre- viously Can-Fit-Pro’s certification director and has worked on several national health promotion initiatives with Health Canada including Canada’s Physical Activity Guides and the Business Case for Active Living at Work web site.
January/February 2009 Fitness Business Canada 45
January/February 2009
Alberta’s most trusted standard in Group Exercise Leadership training.
The AFLCA certifies in the following designations:
• Fitness for the Older Adult
• Aquatic Exercise • Choreography • Step • Cycle
• Mind/body • Portable equipment • Resistance Training
contact
www.provincialfitnessunit.ca
780.492.4435
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