Introducing CIMSPA Data Lens - Real-time intelligence on the UK’s Sport & Physical Activity Sector & Workforce

Having the latest data and insights on the sector is essential for employers and education and training providers to enable them to plan their operations, support the sector workforce and service the needs of customers.

Phill Wright, CIMSPA’s Head of Insight and Business Transformation introduces our new tool, Data Lens, which provides that vital intelligence and quantifies the sport and physical activity sector like never before.

Back in 2019 there was no agreed definition of our sector. ‘Sport and physical activity’ was simply an umbrella term with no specific definition that gave clarity to industry areas or niche sub-industries on how the workforce was defined. Without a clear definition, the sector was extremely difficult to measure and impossible to support, accurately represent and manage.

Most sectors rely on Office of National Statistics (ONS) data through the Standardised Industry Classifications (SIC) and Standard Occupational Classifications (SOC) to understand the industries and roles that make up a particular sector. For some sectors these classifications work very well. For others they fail to accurately represent the depth and breadth of industries and occupations.

Take a look at how our sector is defined by these classifications and consider that this is the way that policymakers define and understand our sector.

The mismatch between the Government’s view and the reality of the sector

It’s easy to see that this method of categorising and measuring our sector creates issues as many organisations and occupations within our sector are not represented in these classifications.

Where would fitness or sport events sit? These are now hugely significant businesses.

What about businesses that have corporate gyms within the workplace?

Or how could we quantify personal trainers?

These classifications simply do not represent the sport and physical activity sector accurately enough.

Emerging trends play such an important role in our sector. New types of provision, businesses and occupations sometimes emerge overnight. These classifications are typically updated once every 10 years, so it is clear to see how they becomes even less representative over time.

At CIMSPA, we have recognised the flaws in how our sector is measured for some time. We knew that it was essential to create a definition of our sector that better represents reality to enable our workforce and the businesses operating to be recognised and quantified.

In early 2020, work began to create a definition of the sector that was more representative but recognised the ONS viewpoint of industries and occupations. Following a sector-wide consultation involving over 300 stakeholders, CIMSPA published an agreed definition that identifies six core industries and an occupational viewpoint that is centred around the participant.

An adopted landscape

Although this has been a big step for the sector, without being quantified the definition would remain a theoretical model. Therefore, bringing this to life with a sense of scale and size was even more important than the definition itself.

Following a two-year development journey and using multiple data sourcing methodologies including web-scraping, APIs with open access data along with machine learning, CIMSPA has developed CIMSPA Data Lens; a real-time intelligence dashboard for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector.

With over 150 users already using the Data Lens service, the dashboard is transforming decision-making, informing strategies and enhancing workforce planning and development across all types of sector organisations including operators, universities, colleges, national governing bodies, training providers and sole traders.

Exclusive to CIMSPA Partners

As an exclusive benefit, CIMSPA Partners can access live labour market and business intelligence data on a range of data points including:

• Employers within the sector
• Jobs in the sector
• Financial health of the sector
• Geography of employers, the workforce and the jobs market
• Skill demands by employers
• Company profiles, size and growth trends

And with easy-to-use filters underpinning the system, the data can be interrogated very specifically in niche areas such as exercise and fitness or community sport or even specific geographies whether that’s a county level or town level.

How CIMSPA Partners are already benefitting

The comprehensive market intelligence provides value for a range of different CIMSPA Partner needs. From the feedback received so far, we can share some examples of how organisations are already using the data:

Employers: market and competitor analysis, workforce planning, recruitment and benchmarking.

Education establishments: curriculum and content design, learner acquisition and support and establishing placement networks.

National governing bodies / sector bodies: establishing employer and education networks, benchmarking, workforce planning and informing strategy.

How CIMSPA Partners can get access

If you haven’t already, it’s simple to set up your complimentary account. Once verified as a CIMSPA Partner your account will be confirmed.

Request your account

If you’re not already in partnership with CIMSPA, discover the many partnerships available today and get started.

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