Work to improve physical activity sector apprenticeships through the Trailblazer initiative has made another leap forward, with the foundations now in place for three new sets of standards.

Unveiled at last week’s Active Training Workshop and Awards 2015 by the Physical Activity Sector Trailblazer group, the new standards cover apprenticeships for the roles of fitness instructor, leisure assistant and children's activity practitioner. They follow the standards set out for personal trainer and leisure duty manager apprenticeships, which were approved by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in August.

Apprenticeships have come under renewed focus in recent weeks, with the government’s newly-announced apprenticeship levy meaning employers are now more eager than ever to benefit from the initiatives that they must fund.

The government-backed Trailblazer programme aims to place responsibility for defining apprenticeship standards in the hands of employers, enabling the industry to streamline training pathways and proactively address skills shortages. Initial expressions of interest for the three new standards will be submitted to the relevant government agencies in the first quarter of 2016, with unique steering groups for each standard to be formed.

"The Trailblazer project has been a shining example of employer and sector collaboration on workforce development,” said chair of the Trailblazer Project Management Group Rich Millard.

“By the end of January 2016 we will have submitted the first two assessment plans for the leisure duty manager and personal trainer roles, the standards for both of which were successfully developed and approved this year, driven by two employer-led steering groups.”

Also on the agenda at the Workshop and Awards was CIMPSA’s efforts to implement a new new skills framework in light of the government’s reforms to the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF). Changes to the QCF mean that core entry to sector Level 2 Fitness qualifications and Level 3 Personal Trainer qualifications are no longer common, shared units that are overseen by SkillsActive.

CIMSPA CEO Tara Dillon said her organisation plans to implement new standards for 60 physical activity roles over the next few years, outlining clear skills expectations and career pathways from levels 1-7.

Meanwhile, ukactive reiterated its commitment to supporting CIMSPA’s efforts. ukactive executive director Steven Ward said: "ukactive, as a representative voice of employers in the physical activity sector, supports CIMSPA on behalf of its members, who have made a clear call for a single body to house all levels 1-7.”

“ukactive have committed to providing assistance to the Trailblazer group by developing a communications strategy with CIMSPA to drive employer engagement at all levels, across all regions, to ensure the development of a set of standards fit for the workforce of the future."