Health and Fitness degrees gain industry recognition
Southampton Solent University has just received confirmation from SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure, Learning and Wellbeing, that their health and fitness degrees meet the newly revised National Occupational Standards for Exercise and Fitness, and hence continue to be recognised as industry-approved awards by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).
Students studying BSc Fitness and Personal Training, BA Fitness Management and Personal Training, BSc Health, Exercise and Physical Activity, and the BSc Applied Sport Science courses are therefore able to gain additional vocational qualifications alongside their degrees. Principal Lecturer and Course Leader for the Personal Training degrees, Martin Skivington, comments:
“We are one of only two universities in the UK to meet the new standards, and this recognition strengthens our position as a market leader in the provision of academic health and fitness degrees. The very fact that students are able to acquire a range of vocationally-relevant fitness awards as part of their studies means they are far more employable when they graduate. Many students even start to work in the industry during their studies which clearly gives them a head start over other graduates when it comes to securing relevant jobs at the end of their degree. A lot of hard work went into the accreditation submission which highlights the commitment of the course teams to provide an academic experience that enhances students’ career prospects.”
The range of fitness qualifications available to students includes Gym Instructor, Personal Training, Exercise Referral, Working with Older Adults and Disabled Clients as well as optional awards such as Exercise to Music.