YMCA Awards’ New Technical Specialist Qualifications Are Now Available

Following its announcement on 13 July 2026, YMCA Awards has confirmed that its two new funded Level 3 Technical Specialist qualifications have now officially launched and are available for delivery.

The qualifications form part of YMCA Awards’ continued commitment to developing relevant, regulated education pathways that respond to the changing needs of the health, fitness and wellbeing workforce.

The two new qualifications now available are:

• YMCA Level 3 Technical Specialist in Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Long-Term Health Conditions (Certificate) – 610/6235/2
• YMCA Level 3 Technical Specialist in Performance Massage (Certificate) – 610/6236/4

Initially announced ahead of their planned 1 August launch, both qualifications are now live, with qualification specifications and supporting information available to centres and prospective learners.

Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Long-Term Health Conditions

The YMCA Level 3 Technical Specialist in Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Long-Term Health Conditions (Certificate) has been developed for qualified personal trainers who want to extend their knowledge and skills to support adults living with long-term health conditions.

The qualification equips learners with the specialist knowledge and practical skills required to plan, adapt and deliver physical activity and exercise programmes that take account of an individual’s long-term health condition, while working safely and appropriately within professional scope of practice.

Meeting Skills England-approved outcomes for supporting clients with long-term health conditions, the qualification also aligns with the requirements of the CIMSPA population specialism professional standard for Working with People with Long-Term Conditions.

Through consultation, programme planning, practical delivery, evaluation, case studies and professional discussion, learners are able to demonstrate how specialist knowledge can be applied in real-world settings.

The qualification creates an important progression opportunity for personal trainers seeking to broaden the populations they can confidently support and reflects the increasingly important role physical activity professionals can play in helping more people participate in exercise safely and effectively.

Find out more about the Long-Term Health Conditions qualification

Performance Massage

The YMCA Level 3 Technical Specialist in Performance Massage (Certificate) provides qualified personal trainers with an opportunity to expand their existing professional skillset by developing practical performance massage techniques that can complement their work with clients.

Meeting Skills England-approved outcomes for performance massage linked to the Level 3 Personal Trainer occupational standard, the qualification develops the knowledge and practical skills needed to provide pre-event, post-event and maintenance massage.

Learners develop fundamental massage techniques for use on non-pathological tissue within sport, fitness and exercise environments, enabling them to integrate appropriate performance massage into their existing personal training services.

The qualification has been specifically designed to complement the role of a personal trainer rather than qualify an individual as a fully recognised sports massage therapist. It can also provide a progression pathway for learners wishing to continue their professional development into Level 4 sports massage therapy qualifications.

For existing fitness professionals, this creates an opportunity to develop a broader range of skills around exercise, preparation and recovery while continuing to operate within a clearly defined professional scope of practice.

Find out more about the Performance Massage qualification

From Announcement to Delivery

The launch follows YMCA Awards’ initial announcement in July, when the two qualifications were unveiled as part of its continued investment in specialist education pathways.

With both qualifications now available, training providers can begin incorporating the new programmes into their provision, creating additional progression opportunities for existing and future fitness professionals.

Vicki Steer, Interim Head of YMCA Awards, said:

“When we announced these qualifications in July, we talked about the importance of ensuring education continues to evolve alongside the needs of our sector. We are delighted that both qualifications are now officially available and that our centres can begin delivering these new specialist pathways.

“For learners, these qualifications create opportunities to build on their existing professional skills and develop expertise that has genuine relevance to the people they work with. For training providers, they offer the opportunity to broaden provision and respond to developing workforce needs.

“This is about creating meaningful progression and ensuring fitness professionals have access to regulated, high-quality education that supports where the sector is heading next.”

The launch of the two qualifications further strengthens YMCA Awards’ expanding Technical Specialist portfolio and its focus on creating education pathways that connect professional development with the changing requirements of the health, fitness and wellbeing sector.

Both qualifications are now available. Training providers and learners can access full qualification information, including specifications and delivery requirements, through the YMCA Awards website. https://www.ymcaawards.co.uk/