BellTIME
MAKE SURE YOUR
QUALIFICATION
DELIVERS
As students approach the end of
their secondary education
thoughts turn to the wide array of
options available to them as they
transition to either a career or
further education. The options
available can be daunting with
many students choosing further
education programmes that they
ultimately don’t enjoy or complete.
At the National Training Centre,
which was established in 1985, we
often find that students come to
us having entered Sports Science
and Leisure Management degree
courses and they have become
disillusioned as their chosen
programme covers a lot more than
they anticipated, often in areas
they have no real interest in.
Many of these programmes now
include a fitness instructor or
personal trainer module within
them but some don’t. The result is
that many students who want to
work in the fitness profession
discover that they are either over
qualified on graduation and face
the exact same career and earning
opportunities as individuals who
have completed much shorter
industry recognised courses. If
their programme did not include a
specific fitness instructor or
12
personal trainer module they find
themselves not qualified to work
in the instruction aspect of the
fitness industry or to obtain
professional indemnity insurance.
Of course for students who have a
real interest in management and
sports science the degree route is
the way to go but for those who
want to work exclusively as a
fitness instructor or personal
trainer then the shorter course
choice is the clever option.
The health fitness industry in
Ireland employ those who are
qualified at European
Qualification Framework (EQF)
Level 3 or 4. It is a fact that
Europe Active (formerly the
European Health Fitness
Association) have set the
maximum pan-European standard
for a fitness instructor or
personal trainer at EQF Level 4
and this is the standard sought by
the industry in Ireland and
recognised throughout out the
world by the International
Confederation of Registers for
Exercise Professionals (ICREPS).
The fitness instructor or personal
trainer module contained within
many degree programmes would
See Who You Can Be!
also be mapped no higher than
EQF Level 3 or 4 if it were a stand-
alone qualification.
A similar situation exists in
relation to qualifications for the
treatment of pain and injury in
sport or the general population.
There are degree programmes
available in this area but they
offer no additional benefit to
graduates. For example, if you
want to treat pain and injury
within the HSE then you will have
to study Physiotherapy or
medicine. A degree in Applied
Sciences or Sports Science won’t
cut the mustard when it comes to
treating muscular pain and injury
as there is no grade within the
HSE which recognises these
professions.
Do your research and make sure
that you get a qualification which
actually delivers what you need.
For details of NTC courses in
health fitness and bodywork
therapies please visit www.ntc.ie
or call 01 8827777. We deliver
affordable part-time courses
throughout Ireland.
NCT.IE