Record number of training providers seek CIMSPA endorsement
The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) is delighted to announce that more than 100 training providers are now seeking endorsement through the chartered institute, with more signing up each day.
The news follows the government’s first annual review of its Sporting Future strategy, issued last week, which confirmed that CIMSPA was “well advanced” in its work with Sport England and stakeholders in developing both a single set of standards for all sport and exercise professionals and a single system of assessing, awarding and validating qualifications.
Leading training provider Premier Training International is one of the latest organisations to become a CIMSPA skills development partner, ensuring its training products and qualifications are listed on the CIMSPA directory, whose members include qualified and recognised fitness instructors, personal trainers, pilates instructors and group exercise leaders.
Launched in response to the concerns of employers frustrated by the variable quality of fitness staff ‘accredited’ by other registers, the new directory displays qualified exercise and fitness professionals who are recognised by, and members of, CIMSPA. The quality of members is guaranteed by ensuring they hold recognised qualifications delivered by CIMSPA-endorsed training providers and have maintained their competency through approved CPD.
Almost 60 of the sector’s leading employer are now working in partnership with CIMSPA which means that they are committed to seeking training from CIMSPA-recognised training providers. Employer partners include Places for People Leisure, Nuffield, Fusion, GLL, 1Life, Active Nation, Edinburgh Leisure, Everybody Sport and Recreation, Everyone Active, Parkwood Leisure and Sheffield International Venues.
As employer partners, these operators have committed to placing relevant employees into CIMSPA professional membership over the coming years and to seek training and qualifications only from CIMSPA endorsed providers.
“CIMSPA now has an established recognition/endorsement process for qualifications, training and CPD known as a Skills Development Partnership,” says Tara Dillon, chief executive of CIMSPA. The chartered institute is currently in the process of developing new professional standards for all core occupations and technical specialisms within the sport and physical activity sector.
“The easiest way to describe CIMSPA’s new professional standards is as improved national occupational standards (NOSs) with a focus on employability. These professional standards will form the basis of all endorsements in the future. Whilst this work is progressing, CIMSPA is currently endorsing training against the current NOS,” says Dillon.
The endorsement process is very straightforward and involves uploading training content and mapping exercises via CIMSPA’s online portal. This is reviewed by the endorsement team and successful applications are awarded CIMSPA recognition and CPD points. The entire process – from content review to recognition (both endorsed and developmental products) – can take just 10 days.