Delegates from around the world met at the recent IHRSA Convention, held in Las Vegas in the US, to discuss issues of closer international cooperation in recognising certification and registration for exercise professionals.

The relationship between Australia and New Zealand – which operate registers along similar lines to the UK Register of Exercise Professionals – and the UK has now been formalised into a confederation.

Consultation with South Africa, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland will see registers coming into effect in the near future – and they all need to operate on similar standards.

The IRHSA convention also gave the opportunity to explore possibilities of increased reciprocal working agreements and greater cohesion with some of the leading US training providers, and most notably ACSM, ACE, NASM and NSCA who run training programmes around the world.

Another significant move forward was the signing-off of European standards last year through the EHFA programme of work for the European Union and has provided a framework for others to follow.

EHFA recently appointed CYQ as the verification unit to operate across the 25 nations of the EU to help in ensuring standards are maintained to allow for registration and to help training providers to come forward for approval.

At the EHFA General Assembly in London in April, REPs Registrar Cliff Collins outlined the principles of operating a register to 25 delegates from 11 different European countries.

He said “The qualification framework provides the basis for going forward and EHFA are on track to having membership in all European countries this year. It is very important to make sure we all work to the same standards and processes to ensure exercise professionals can have their status properly recognised through registers.”

The REPs’ Website provides guidance for exercise professionals seeking employment in the UK and for UK residents who wish to work abroad. Formal registration is being viewed as a “passport” for working around the world.