18 November 2024

TAFE NSW has ushered in a new course for aspiring fitness professionals in Campbelltown to cater to surging demand in the health and fitness industry post-COVID.

For the first time ever, the Diploma of Sports, Aquatics and Recreation Management is being delivered virtually, aimed at arming those already in the fitness and recreation industries with the practical skills and knowledge to take their career to the next level.

According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the fitness and recreation industries have been in a steep growth phase since the end of the pandemic, with 152,300 people employed in the industries as of August this year.

The Diploma, which is enrolling now for semester one 2025, includes units in stakeholder communications, leading teams, and planning major sport or recreation events.

TAFE NSW Fitness Teacher Jared Kahlefeldt said the course filled an important gap in the industry for those wanting to progress into leadership roles.

“A lot of entry level fitness jobs are very practically-based so to have to step up into a management role and look at budgets and manage teams can be a bit foreign,” he said.

“We know fitness and recreation are growing industries and there’s still a bit of a skills gap in terms of finding people to manage facilities.”

Mr Kahlefeldt said many of the course assessments were project-based, meaning students could base their studies on real-world workplace scenarios.

“It’s a great time to be in the industry because the everyday person is accessing health and recreation facilities more than ever before,” he said. “Membership bases are expanding and facilities need qualified and skilled people.”

Harrington Park woman Cassie Kiggins has long had an interest in health and fitness and has hopes of becoming an occupational therapist. She has enrolled in the diploma to gain a deeper understanding of the fitness and recreation industries, and to gain credit towards doing a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2025.

“It’s a great stepping stone to what I want to do and being able to study the course online means I can balance my studies with my full-time job,” Ms Kiggins, 21, said.

“It’s been so interesting to learn about stakeholder management and what’s involved in running a fitness business, and my teacher actually owns his own gym so is speaking from experience.”

Barrie Elvish, CEO of the Australian fitness industry’s peak body AUSactive, recently said an exodus of fitness instructors from the industry during COVID, combined with a flurry of new gym memberships, had created a “perfect storm of opportunity” for those wanting to work in the industry.

“Demand for fitness instructors is growing rapidly and gyms are struggling to get qualified staff,” Mr Elvish said. “We see TAFE NSW as an important part in getting quality graduates coming through.”

Media contact: Dan Johns, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 0477 722 428