This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Will hiring graduates mean members receive the benefi ts of more expertise? Or will it lead to a hike in fees?


stephen studd skillsactive • ceo


“C


urrently, there’s more supply than demand for sports science


graduates. However, as the industry moves towards a partnership with the health sector, which will necessitate a higher level of services, it should lead to further graduate recruitment – but first we need to refocus some courses. At the moment, pure sports science


courses don’t necessarily give the knowledge or skills to cater for job requirements, but a vocational component could be introduced to open up employment opportunities. SkillsActive has therefore been working with employers to identify the requirements for the industry and are working with universities to help them provide this on their courses. This endorsement process for universities launched last month.


It aims to shape education with a view to turning out graduates with both the technical and vocational knowledge needed for fitness and other related careers such as coaching and sports development. We want students to be able to easily identify which courses will lead to the best chances of employment. As employers develop higher-level services, they will also need to look at how to attract and retain these individuals.


” november/december 2010 © cybertrek 2010


armando moreira agap • board secretary


“T


he Portuguese law making it compulsory to employ physical


education and sports graduates, from government-approved universities, came into force at the end of 2009. Although the industry wants to improve quality and safety, we don’t agree with the method our government has chosen. More than half of the people already


working in the industry were not graduates and would have lost their jobs. However, after much lobbying, instructors were given a three-month window to register their expertise, whether a foreign degree, vocational training or proof of work experience. Those who didn’t do this had to leave the industry. This law assumes that, if you come from university, you have


more knowledge, but we’re sceptical about this; most university courses are not even fitness-orientated at the moment. We asked for an eight-year timeline, which would have allowed the transition to occur more naturally, but this didn’t happen. In coming years, recruitment will be the major issue: when


even aerobic teachers need a specific degree from a specific university, they will be hard to find. Meanwhile many clubs may close or fail as they can’t meet these new obligations.


” Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 27


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