What young people want and what that means for sport, physical activity and active wellbeing careers

Natasha Schofield, Associate Director of Education and Career Development, CIMSPA

Every year, tens of thousands of young people across the UK are asked what jobs they’d most like to do in the future. Their answers can tell us a lot, not just about their ambitions, but about how they see the world around them.

A new national survey of over 330,000 young people, published by the Careers & Enterprise Company, has placed sport, physical activity, and health high on the list of dream careers. Among 11-18-year-olds, jobs connected to sport and healthcare consistently appear in the top ten most desired options, alongside creative and media roles.

That’s something worth celebrating. It means that the next generation are not only passionate about staying active but also about helping others to live healthier lives.

When pupils in the early years of secondary school are asked what they’d like to do for work, one in four say something related to sport. By the time they reach GCSE age, many of those same young people start expressing an interest in healthcare and wellbeing careers too.

That shift tells us young people’s motivations are evolving. While sport might first capture their imagination through the excitement of competition or teamwork, as they grow older, they begin to see the broader social impact of helping people to move more, feel better and live well.

For the sport and physical activity sector, that’s a huge opportunity. The reality is now that the line between sport and health careers has never been thinner. Active wellbeing professionals support people managing long-term conditions, while coaches play a role in mental wellbeing and confidence building. At the same time, community activity coordinators work hand-in-hand with local health partners to reduce inactivity and improve population health.

Transferrable skills

It’s important to recognise that the skills developed in sport are skills for health, along with many other careers.

Whether a young person dreams of becoming a personal trainer, a PE teacher, a physiotherapist or a health and wellbeing coach, they’re often motivated by the same core strengths of communication, empathy, problem-solving and a desire to make a difference.

These are exactly the skills our sector depends on, and the ones CIMSPA is helping to define, develop and professionalise through Professional Standards and Professional Status.

• Communication and empathy – essential for motivating participants, supporting clients and building trust.

• Knowledge of movement and anatomy – key to safe and effective coaching, rehabilitation and exercise prescription.

• Behaviour change and motivation – at the heart of both sport participation and preventative health work.

• Ethical and inclusive practice – fundamental to creating safe, accessible, and welcoming environments for all.

Helping young people recognise that these are transferable, professional skills that can make all the difference in how they see their future is beneficial for them, and for our sector.

The importance of careers guidance

The Careers & Enterprise Company’s research shows that as young people progress through school, the quality of careers education and employer encounters strongly influences their choices. When they have the chance to meet real professionals, visit workplaces, or hear stories from people working in roles that link physical activity and health, their ambitions broaden. That’s where the CIMSPA Careers Hub comes in. It’s designed to help young people, educators and careers advisers explore the full range of opportunities across the sector, from coaching and instructing, to policy, management, and community wellbeing roles.

CIMSPA also provides careers guidance resources for schools, colleges and employers, helping them to connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities in sport and health. These resources help young people understand how a passion for activity can translate into a sustainable, rewarding career and one that makes a genuine difference to people’s lives.

As the UK continues to experience a strong need to prioritise prevention, wellbeing and active lifestyles, demand for professionals who can bridge the gap between sport and health will only grow. Whether through social prescribing, community wellbeing programmes, rehabilitation support or fitness-for-health roles, the sector sits at the frontline of national health improvement.

The young people who are today dreaming of careers in sport or healthcare are the future workforce who will make that vision a reality. Our collective task as employers, training providers, educators and professional bodies, is to make sure they can see the pathways clearly, develop the right skills, and step confidently into a professional community that recognises, values and supports them.