We conducted a study with 26 further education centres to find out about the key issues faced by centres today. We wanted to understand their concerns for the future, any obstacles blocking the efficiency of their delivery, as well as their attitude towards digital.  The general consensus reveals that while digital tools are welcome, some find it difficult to integrate them into their delivery. Furthermore, colleges aren’t reaping the full benefits of these tools.

By Rob May, YMCA Awards Director.

The Chancellor’s spring budget includes a glaring oversight. The pledge to pump £500 million into the introduction of new so-called ‘T-Levels’ – technical qualifications, as an alternative to A-Levels for 16 to 19-year-olds means that classroom-based vocational education routes for more than half of UK occupations have been left out in the cold.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) recently issued a Post-16 Skills Plan which sets the scene for what will be a far-reaching reform of the skills system.

21 students from across the UK competed at Loughborough University’s Holywell Fitness Centre, in a bid to become one of the 14 WorldSkills UK Fitness Trainer Competition finalists for 2016. 12 Gym Instructors and nine Personal Trainers competed and all demonstrated their skills, knowledge and professionalism throughout the day, before they were whittled down to the final eight Gym Instructors and nine Personal Trainers.

In an ever expanding industry and such a fast-paced field, it can seem like a mammoth task to start a new business and most importantly, achieve longevity. But despite a crowded market, there are still many opportunities to make it happen.

Here are my top five insights to help you get started with a successful fitness business:

YMCA Awards has earned a reputation for pushing boundaries. Hardly surprising when you consider that we’re part of a movement which has been at the forefront of social policy reforms for more than 175 years. A movement which has often challenged conventional thinking, and at times taken controversial decisions which were unpopular in their day, but which now in our modern times seem apparent, reliable and morally astute.

Leading awarding organisation YMCA Awards will be sponsoring the Association of College Sport (AOC Sport) Fitness Trainer Competition for Gym Instructors in 2016. YMCA Awards originally set up the Fitness Trainer Competition to showcase high standards of Fitness Instructors & Personal Trainers in the UK, before the reins were handed over to AOC Sport.

Bob Harrison, has been appointed to the board of trustees at Central YMCA – which includes the awarding organisation YMCA Awards as an operating division.

Harrison brings a wealth of experience to the role, having been chief examiner at vocational education specialists City and Guilds for 12 years, and a member of the Ministerial Educational Technology Action Group. He was also a member of FELTAG, whose breakthrough report on learning technology has helped to shape further education’s digital future. Bob was recently announced as a judge at the prestigious Stanford University education technology expo in the USA.