CIMSPA partners with West Nottinghamshire College to launch new professional qualification
CIMSPA (the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) has partnered with West Nottinghamshire College to develop and endorse a new, bespoke, CIMSPA Level 2 Practitioner Professional Qualification, tailored to meet the needs of employers in the region.
The new diploma – the first of its kind in the UK - has been developed by CIMSPA and West Nottinghamshire College using insights gained from the chartered institute’s relationship with over 300 employers within the sport and physical activity sector. This understanding of what employers need in terms of job roles, knowledge and skills has helped to shape the curriculum to fit with the needs of the sector and maximise the employability and development potential of graduates.
The 36 week-long Level 2 Professional Qualification has been designed with specific modules aimed at those pursuing careers in the sector, including group exercise instructor, sports coach, sports leader and recreation assistant.
In addition to the role-specific modules, learners will also acquire core skills and knowledge that will support their future career development, including customer experience, communication, health and safety, business acumen and sector regulation, with each unit certified by CIMSPA.
After the formal education aspects of the programme, learners will have the opportunity to undertake work experience with local employers including gyms, leisure centres, pools and health centres, to enhance their knowledge of the local sector and develop their broader business knowledge.
Learners will also benefit from specialist guest speaker events and professional forums, which will be held at the college as it moves towards becoming an official CIMSPA Local Skills Academy.
Nikki Slack, Assistant Principal for Health, Education and Service Industries at West Nottinghamshire College, said:
“We are delighted to partner with CIMSPA and to have had the opportunity to design this course directly towards the needs of the sector. There is a skills shortage as a result of the pandemic, but we know there are many individuals in the community excited to begin their professional training in this sector.
“We have years’ of professional expertise amongst our staff in sports and exercise, so together with CIMSPA’s backing I am really confident that this bespoke programme will have great success and will lead to some great careers for our students.
“Spencer Moore, Director of Strategy, CIMSPA commented:
We are excited to be partnering with West Nottinghamshire College to endorse the CIMSPA Level 2 Practitioner Professional Qualification. From consulting with our employer partners, the key requirement was for multi-skilled staff to fill skills gaps left by the pandemic. We have responded to this and are confident that this professional qualification, delivered by the experts at West Nottinghamshire College, will help to fill those gaps. It will also enable young people to start their careers in the sector with the real skills, knowledge and understanding they need to enter employment.
“The partnership with West Nottinghamshire College will continue to grow in the coming months and we are keen to progress into the next phase of our work together.”
Find out more on the Level 2 Practitioner Professional Qualification.
CIMSPA has also recently launched ReTrain to Retain - a £5m skills, funding and support programme for sport and physical activity, funded by Sport England through the National Lottery.