About the Sport and Active Leisure Diploma
The Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure will provide students with knowledge and understanding of the sport and active leisure industry.
The industry is rapidly changing and the workforce needs to be equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to help professionalise and to make a valuable contribution to the sector.
At the forefront of this are the government initiatives that have set new ambitions for the industry in the years ahead, and which have also been the framework for the vision for the Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure’s.
To equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and attributes necessary to help the sport and active leisure industry professionalise and so deliver on its two headline ambitions set with the government – to leave a lasting legacy of grass-roots participation opportunities following the staging of successful major events; and to see 50% of the nation active and healthy by 2020.
In terms of jobs and demand, our key figures cry out for more, professionally trained, new recruits that the Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure can help to provide:
- 100,000 new jobs needed by 2014;
- A further 86,000 alone needed to stage the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games;
- 85,000 new employees needed each year to replace (transient and seasonal) leavers;
- A 28% volunteering shortfall met (or 532,000 more people) today; and
- 40,000 new coaches needed by 2016.
Source: SkillsActive Sector Skills Agreement, 2005
The Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure is not designed to produce world class athletes. Students interested in taking the Diploma do not necessarily have to be active participants, they should simply have an interest in the industry, whilst also be able to understand and relate to leading an active and healthy lifestyle.
The sport and leisure industry spans a huge range of job roles. There are opportunities to specialise in areas of sport, including competitive sport but also other interests such as walking, climbing or adventure, in fitness, in playwork, stadium management and safety, roles based in the outdoors, sport surfaces and many more. The scope ranges from groundsman or stadium manager to coach or personal trainer - there are over 200 job roles within the sport and leisure industry.
