SCHOOL LEAVER SPECIAL


ers value a school leavers’ ability to bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas to the work place; news that will bring a sigh of relief to school leavers across the country. For many young people, the next few


LEARN WHILE YOU EARN A


recent national survey commis- sioned by training provider Lifetime revealed that 90 per cent of employ-


a young person to turn a hobby or sport- ing passion into a worthwhile career, while delivering fresh talent in to the sector. “However, previously, the industry lacked


months will be life changing. With exams a distant memory, now is the time for school leavers to consider how they will take their next steps into the working world of leisure. But, with the ever changing landscape of


the fi tness industry, what qualifi cations and training options off er the best opportunity for young people to gain employment in an active leisure setting? Leisure Opportunities talks to some of the main players in the fi t- ness industry about what is required of young people and how best they can meet the needs of employers in the sector… Stephen Studd, chief executive offi cer of


SkillsActive, says; “Gaining the right qual- ifi cations in sport or active leisure enables


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training programmes that equipped indi- viduals with transferable skills and industry wide qualifi cations. On entering the sec- tor without the correct skills and, with little direction or support, we saw many young people leave just a few years later.”


A new direction for school leavers… “Today, there are training structures in place that complement a school leaver’s needs and career goals; employers and training provid- ers are able to work closely together in the development and delivery of courses such as apprenticeship programmes. “In developing training courses collabor-


atively, upon employment of an apprentice, employers are able to mould a school leaver to their organisation’s needs and, in turn, the individual benefi ts from ‘hands on’ learn- ing,” Studd says.


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


Apprenticeships and training programmes can help you forge a path in leisure In working closely alongside employers,


training providers play a key role in deliv- ering courses that eff ectively cater for the needs of the industry as a whole, translating those needs to course syllabuses. Nigel Wallace, development direc-


tor at Lifetime Fitness Academy, says: “From our survey of 2,000 employers, 66 per cent advised that young people would benefi t greatly from being taught employ- ment-related skills such as communication, teamwork and customer awareness. “T is is where, as a training provider, we


are developing our Academy programmes to give school leavers an edge when consid- ering their next steps into employment. T e Lifetime Academies gives young people the opportunity to gain pre-employment train- ing, covering skills such as customer service, before they apply for apprentice positions. “T is training is free of tuition fees and


directly addresses the needs of the large range of employers we work with, giving learners a clear pathway into employment.


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ MIRCEA BEZERGHEANU


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