news & jobs at
www.leisureopportunities.co.uk
Training providers play a crucial role in delivering
programmes that meet the needs of sector employers
Matthew Harrison - Helio Fitness CASE STUDY
Where are you working and what is your position? Trainee personal trainer at Helio Fitness in Bolton, Greater Manchester. What does your day-to-day role include? I currently spend my day on the gym fl oor working as a gym instructor while I train for my personal trainer qualifi cations. As a gym instructor, my responsibilities include new member inductions, gym tours, con- verting leads into membership sales and retaining our members. What attracted you to the leisure industry? I have always enjoyed being active and couldn’t stand the thought of sitting in an offi ce. T erefore, I needed a job that off ered variety and the leisure industry was the perfect choice for me. What attracted you to this particular sector? I like to keep fi t and healthy and wanted to encourage others to have the same attitude toward fi tness. How easy was it to fi nd a job? I was very lucky and was able to fi nd a job within a week of sending my CV out to local gyms. What advice would you have for school leavers looking to get into the industry? I would defi nitely recommend the appren- ticeship route; I found the Lifetime course was a great way to learn with a mix of classroom learning and then an appren- ticeship placement to give hands on experience in a working life situation. If you have a passion for fi tness, pursue it, it really is worth following your dreams Is there anything you would do diff er- ently if given the chance? I started off doing A-levels at college but soon realised that the classroom wasn’t the best way for me to learn. Given the chance to start again, I would go straight into an apprenticeship so I could have entered the industry sooner.
“While in employment as an apprentice,
young people can go on to train for industry recognised qualifi cations and gain valuable ‘hands on’ experience; qualities that employ- ers are telling us they want from young people these days. “T e Lifetime Fitness Academy now aims
to off er young people a valuable foundation in fi tness and access to an apprenticeship with the opportunities to work with the best leisure operators in the country.”
© CYBERTREK 2011 Craig Jones, operations director at
Healthy Lifestyle Activities Provider, Fit For Sport, says: “T e health and fi tness industry is an attractive industry for young peo- ple and it lends itself to the apprenticeship model, off ering career development as well as qualifi cations. “Rather than spending hours in the
classroom, young people can benefi t from learning real life skills, on the job and in a leisure setting. From an employer’s
Twitter: @leisureopps
Is working in the leisure industry what you expected? Yes, the industry interested me because it off ers such variety and this is exactly what my job gives me, no day is the same. What are the best aspects of the leisure industry? I love the variety that every working day off ers and the fact that I have turned my fi tness hobby in to a career through my programme with Lifetime. And the worst? I’d say the worst is probably working in shiſt s however there are ways around this. For example, once I complete my Level 3 Personal Training qualifi cation, I will be able to work more regular hours How did you fi nd out about the appren- tice scheme that you attended? I found Lifetime’s Multi Skilled Fitness Instructor Apprenticeship programme on the internet, I’d searched a number of career advice and job websites but when I saw Lifetime’s programme it sounded ideal so I applied. How useful was the apprenticeship? Would you recommend it to others? I wouldn’t be where I am today without my apprenticeship programme, I found it both engaging and the perfect route into the industry I wanted to work in. I would defi - nitely recommend it to others. Matthew has completed his Lifetime Fitness Academy Apprenticeship and is now looking forward to completing his Personal Training qualifi cation. To fi nd out more please visit
www.lifetimetraining.
co.uk/for-you/lifetime-fi tness-academy or call Lifetime on 0845 123 8515
perspective, operators are also able to tailor their programmes specifi cally to meet the needs of the business and their customers.” Jones adds that Fit for Sport is also the
provider of both accredited training and employment options for young apprentices.
Stand out from the competition... However, as with any industry, the job mar- ket is competitive and employers will have a range of work-ready individuals to choose
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www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 19
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