CIMSPA releases the Workforce Insight Report 2023
The latest report provides a detailed insight into the UK sport and physical activity workforce against the backdrop of the current challenging economic climate.
The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) have published The Workforce Insight Report 2023, produced in partnership with Lightcast.
Following three years after the previous report, the latest publication sheds light on how the sector has recovered following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how the current economic challenges are affecting workforce dynamics.
The report focuses on the composition of the workforce and its evolution in recent years, as well as highlighting recruitment activity, career pathways and regional trends since 2020. The findings of the report also illustrate some of the changes and challenges that the sector is facing, providing insights to help organisations plan for their own workforce development.
Tara Dillon, CEO of CIMSPA said:
"This report not only provides an accurate and comprehensive update on workforce changes and trends over the last three years but an even richer set of insights in relation to how diverse and representative our workforce is and where people work, whether that be for an employer or in their own business.”
“The last three years have shown just how well the workforce can not only adapt but also unite. The insights from this report have enabled us to develop a new strategy which we will be using to deliver real impact for people working in the sector, those considering joining our profession, as well as employers, education providers and our system partners.
“We truly believe that by unlocking the power of our profession, the sport and physical activity workforce can make a massive impact on the health, wellbeing and economic prosperity of our nations.”
Elena Magrini, Head of Global Research at Lightcast, report partners said:
"The customer-facing nature of many sports and physical activities meant that the sector was hit harder than many other industries during the Covid-19 restrictions, and in terms of job numbers it has yet to recover to 2019 levels.
“With the sector employing close to 600,000 people, it is vital that it makes a complete recovery, and the best way to achieve this is through the adoption of new strategies for talent retention, improvements to workforce diversity, and the provision of clear career pathways to the workforce.
Using detailed workforce insights, this new report is designed to shed light on the labour market challenges, dynamics, and opportunities facing the sports and physical activities industry, so that policymakers can be better equipped to make the sorts of informed interventions that will enable the sector to fulfil its ambition of building a healthier, flourishing society.”
To support workforce planning and decision making, it is essential to understand the current position of the workforce. Examining some of the changes in the sector, which will. Recommendations are also made to support workforce development across the sector.
Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said:
"The publication of this Insight Report gives us a valuable picture of our sector and the people who make up the sport and physical activity workforce.
“It builds upon Sport England’s Active Lives Survey data and will be enormously useful for those looking to understand the makeup and skills of those working in the sector.
“It shows that, whilst the coronavirus pandemic was enormously challenging for many, the sector has been remarkably resilient and is making progress as we head into 2024.
“Yet, while there are positives in this report, it also highlights how much there is still to do, especially in terms of increasing our diversity so that our workforce is truly representative of modern England. To do this successfully it will be vital to listen carefully to people from under-represented groups and put their lived experiences at the heart of our solutions. We are in no doubt the scale of the challenge, but it is one we will work hard tackle head on.”
Read the report below: