By Spencer Moore, Chief Strategy Officer at CIMSPA
Skills England: Skills for Growth and Opportunity, outlines a vision to ensure every region of the country has the skilled workforce it needs to thrive. The strategy rightly identifies the importance of closing skills gaps, creating inclusive pathways into good careers and building long-term economic resilience through investment in people.
At the centre of the plan to achieve this must be a renewed emphasis on foundational sectors, those sectors that form part of the economy that are vital to everyday life, national wellbeing and productivity. These are sectors that, although sometimes overlooked, are essential to a functioning society and economy. Traditionally, this includes health and social care, construction, logistics, agriculture and education.
But there’s one sector missing from this list. It’s a sector that underpins national wellbeing, supports regional economies and contributes directly to productivity across every part of our economy. It’s the sport and physical activity sector.
The bedrock of economic growth
Foundational sectors are defined by the crucial role they play in enabling the rest of the economy to function. These sectors:
- They typically employ large numbers of people, including across lower and intermediate skill levels.
- They are geographically dispersed and deeply embedded in local communities.
- They provide essential services that support wellbeing and economic activity.
- They offer stable, long-term employment opportunities.
- They contribute to national resilience, health and social cohesion
The Government has acknowledged that foundational sectors are key to achieving inclusive growth. By investing in the skills and career pathways within these sectors, we not only support the workers who keep our society running, but we also unlock wider gains in productivity, public service efficiency and quality of life.
Sport and physical activity – a foundational sector in all but name
Our sector contributes over £100 billion annually to the UK economy in social value, is responsible for 600,000 jobs and is present in every community.
If we look beyond the economic data, it’s important to understand how sport and physical activity meets all the criteria of a foundational sector.
We enable other sectors to thrive
A healthy, active population is a productive one. Our sector directly contributes to improving the physical and mental health of the workforce across all industries. People who are more physical active often encounter lower levels of sickness absence, better mental resilience and enhanced social connections which all translate into real productivity gains for employers in every part of the economy.
We have reach across the country
From sports coaches and fitness professionals to facility managers and activity leaders, our workforce is embedded in towns, cities and rural areas alike. This makes the sector a major driver of regional economic resilience and an enabler of Government agendas around spreading growth across all areas of the country. Our workforce is well-placed to connect with people from every background, community and socio-economic group.
We offer accessible and inclusive career routes
The sport and physical activity sector provides diverse, flexible career pathways, many of which are open to individuals without traditional academic qualifications. Whether through apprenticeships, technical education or professional learning, the sector provides opportunities for lifelong development and progression through accredited training and learning.
We champion inclusion and community impact
Our sector is rooted with communities. We bring people together, break down barriers and create a sense of belonging. Physical activity and sport is the catalyst that creates and grows positive relationships through a common language that transcends language and cultural differences, age and wealth. We also actively champion diversity in the workforce because we know that sharing lived experiences is key to creating accessible experiences for everyone to participate and lead.
Supporting the Government’s priority growth sectors
The value of sport and physical activity extends beyond its foundational role. It is also a strategic enabler of growth across the Government’s priority sectors, outlined by Skills England.
- Health and Social Care
The physical activity sector plays a growing role in preventative healthcare, social prescribing and rehabilitation. Professionals in our sector help reduce pressure on the NHS by helping people to be active and reducing the prevalence and impact of serious health conditions. They also support older adults to live independently for longer which is critical in an ageing society.
- Construction and Infrastructure
Manual and physically demanding jobs benefit directly from a fitter, healthier workforce. Healthier workers are less prone to injury and absence, meaning improved productivity on major national infrastructure projects and in achieving housebuilding targets.
- Advanced Manufacturing and Technology
In high-performance and technical sectors, physical and mental wellbeing are increasingly recognised as essential for maintaining performance. Our sector contributes to workplace wellbeing that reduce absenteeism and improve cognitive performance.
- Green Economy and Net Zero
Sport and leisure facilities are leading innovation in energy efficiency and green jobs, from sustainable facility management to green building practices. The sector is also critical in educating and engaging the public in more sustainable behaviours such as active commuting.
The skills imperative
To realise this potential, we must invest in skills. The Sport England and National Lottery funded Local Skills project, managed by CIMSPA is at the forefront of this. By working locally to understand the needs not only of employers but also local priorities in relation to health, social inclusion and economic inactivity, this initiative is aligning training provision to create job roles which meet community needs.
The sector has a well-defined professional standards framework, managed by CIMSPA in partnership with employers and educators. This framework provides clarity on the knowledge and skills needed across roles and supports consistent, high-quality training provision.
What’s needed now is for:
- Sport and physical activity to be formally recognised as a foundational sector.
- Strategic alignment of the investment in training and skills pathways to employer needs through the sector’s professional standards
- Support for local and regional leaders to expand provision for our workforce to meet their health, economic and social priorities.
- Inclusion of the sector in national skills funding, planning and data strategies.
The time has come
The Government’s Skills England strategy is a major opportunity to build a future facing workforce and close the UK’s persistent skills gaps. To succeed, we must recognise all the sectors that play a foundational role in keeping the country healthy, functioning and productive.
Sport and physical activity are not peripheral. They are central to our nation’s economic and social resilience and it’s time they are recognised as that by embedding them in the national skills strategy.
CIMSPA stands ready to support this vision. Our frameworks, partnerships, and strategy, Releasing the Power of our Profession, are aligned with the ambitions of Skills England. Now, with the right recognition and support, our sector can help deliver the inclusive, dynamic and resilient workforce the UK needs, across all industries.
