Posted on 30 November 2023
By Jenny Patrickson, Managing Director, Active IQ
Education courses claiming to provide certified personal trainer qualifications overnight have been around for a long time and sadly, post-pandemic, there has been a rise in these low-cost, low-quality training options. This is a major issue for our industry and something we must tackle together.
For aspiring fitness professionals, it can be easy to get fooled with so many of these qualifications around. After all, many of these websites look legitimate and claim that their programmes will allow you to work with clients in mainstream fitness facilities.
Many of these cheap, quick options have no requirement to ever interact with a real client and there’s a very limited amount of support and guidance provided to effectively progress individuals through their training programme.
Inexperienced people with low-quality personal training “certificates” are then faced with a diverse range of clients whom they are ill-equipped to help and coach.
Low-quality education erodes the credibility of the entire industry and is also a health risk for people who have limited experience in training people with a broad range of needs.
What can learners look for to ensure a wise investment?
Look for a regulated training programme with Active IQ accredited providers. We only work with training providers who can demonstrate certain levels of competence and quality. We ensure that all staff members associated with delivery and assessment hold appropriate qualifications to do so and we don’t work with anyone who doesn’t meet our minimum standards.
Once a centre is approved, they get a wide range of support from Active IQ, including continuing quality assurance visits and guidance, business strategy support, customer service support and high-quality resources for the centre and their learners.
It is important to note that online learning does not always mean low-quality.
Many digital tools and resources, when they are part of a well-constructed quality education provision, are very credible and beneficial to the learner. What’s important is choosing regulated qualifications with a training provider that works with a well-recognised and trusted awarding organisation. This is what will give aspiring fitness professionals a quality qualification and in turn, the skills they need to be job-ready and excel in their new career.
Active IQ invests significantly in educational resources that support the quality provision of training providers, to ensure the best possible experience for the learner. This is the reason we exist. When learners get a world-class education from high-quality training providers, everyone benefits. Providers get more business, PTs get more clients, and ultimately, more people get fit and healthy.
To learn more about the resources we offer, please visit our Products and Services section.