An annual online survey on the health and fitness sector has revealed that one in five fitness professionals is dissatisfied with the level of training they have received.

The Working in Fitness Survey, conducted in partnership between SkillsActive and the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), received more than 1,200 responses and aims to present an accurate picture of the views and opinions of industry workers by guaranteeing respondents confidentiality.

According to the survey, the average amount of time spent on training had increased, but many still feel they are under-qualified to do their job.

Perhaps surprisingly, smaller organisations were found to be superior in providing for the training needs of their staff – contrary to the common belief that smaller companies seldom have the financial resources to invest in training.

Murieal Bankhead, head of research at SkillsActive, said: “There is a persistent 20 per cent of respondents who feel they have not received adequate training for their job.

“This is an area where improvement is required, alongside remunerations packages, career development and getting more women into senior management.”

Accordint to the survey, overall job and employer satisfaction in the industry remains high with nine out of ten employees expecting to remain in the industry for the next three years – with low pay the factor most likely to cause workers to leave the sector.