'Next Stop' Employment

A career in sport and leisure has many options. It has progression routes, and can also be very rewarding - often providing the opportunity to combine paid employment with the chance to pursue a strong personal interest.

Some of the possible routes to employment are given below, but if you are interested in working in any of these areas you will need to obtain the appropriate qualifications, and gain experience. A combination of both will give you a great start in securing both part-time and full-time employment.

A good place to begin for people with very few or no qualifications/experience, is often through voluntary work in the area in which you are interested and obtaining a Community Sports Leader Award (CSLA) or Sports Coach UK Award.

For individuals who already have a background in sport, or who have already gained a basic qualification, other training opportunities such as National Governing Body (NGB) courses, workshops or vocational qualifications may be considered. You may even wish to attend a full-time further or higher education course.

The main areas of employment are:

Sports Leader, Sports Coach
There are countless sports organisations needing more coaches and leaders so the list of options is endless. Coach and Leader jobs can be full-time, part-time or sessional work in sports clubs, local authorities, schools, community organisations, sports centres, governing bodies, regional sports partnerships, holiday centres and summer sports camps. 

Sports Development Officer
Sports development careers are a fantastic opportunity for people who are passionate about sports and want to develop this in other people. There is a large range of sports development jobs mostly based with Local Authority Sports Development Units, Regional Sports Partnerships, Sport England, Governing Bodies of Sport, Community Schools, Colleges and certain charities and community groups. Sports development jobs can be specific to a sport or can be broad ranging. They can be with the young or the old or even minority group specific or specialising in disabled groups.

Sports Administration jobs involve a number of different responsibilities, from membership and secretarial type roles to fundraising and the organisation of specific events.

Physical Education Teacher/Sports Lecturer
As the Sport and Exercise industry grows, so too does the range of opportunities and choices for Lecturers and Teachers. Career opportunities in education, including teaching, tutoring or mentoring are available at nearly all Schools and Universities throughout the country. A Higher Education qualification is required.

Others Include:

• Fitness Instructor
  
• Personal Trainer
  
• Leisure Attendant
  
• Leisure Manager
  
  
• Part-time work is readily available for a large number of roles in the leisure industry from personal training to lifesaving.
  
  
• Full-time employment is also available; this usually involves the management of a facility needing a culmination of training and experience over a number of years. There are many available jobs in most sports facilities including gyms, fitness centres, private sports clubs, leisure centres, swimming pools, hotels and other leisure and recreational establishments, all with progression routes and opportunities to gain further qualifications and responsibilities.

Associated Careers
Other employment sectors where training and experience in sport would be an advantage include Police/Armed Forces, Youth and Community Work, Children's Services, Childcare, Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy and Sports Retailing