Premier Global NASM has restructured its education offering to create new career pathways to help personal trainers and individuals entering the sector navigate their way to career success. Dan Rees explains the rationale

"Sifting through the minefield of qualifications and education programmes to carve out a successful career as a health and wellbeing coach or exercise professional can be difficult,” says Dan Rees, commercial director of Premier Global NASM.

To help simplify the process and give individuals a clear pathway to their chosen goal, Premier Global NASM has developed three career pathways: elite fitness trainer, health and wellness specialist, and strength and conditioning coach.

“Personal trainers are not all created equal,” says Rees. “These pathways will create a new generation of highly employable, specialised fitness professionals with the core skills to apply training to any situation, supported by skill specialisms that distinguish them from the crowd.

“All our learners are now offered an opportunity to choose a pathway tailored to support their own career journey. We empower them to stand out in the market through the provision of relevant, employer-led training and education that supports individual career aspirations. Our new pathways have been developed to fast-track learners to success, efficiently and effectively, enabling them to become specialists in their chosen field, making them highly employable and in a perfect position to deliver success,” he explains.

Each pathway is built on the fundamental coursework required to earn the Level 2 and Level 3 Diplomas in Personal Training, incorporating Premier Global NASM’s world renowned Optimum Performance Training™ (OPT™) model, plus training in corrective exercise and nutrition. Building on this solid foundation, each pathway then delivers unique training specialisms.

The Elite Fitness Trainer pathway broadens the trainer’s scope by offering additional certifications as a performance enhancement specialist, TRX suspension trainer and behaviour change specialist.

All this is supported by a business development course, giving learners the tools needed to build and manage a successful business, with an emphasis on the delivery of group training.

The health and wellness specialist pathway comes with five additional specialisations, including key areas of focus that allow the trainer to personalise programmes to market segments, for example women, older clients and children.

The strength and conditioning coach pathway emphasises supporting clients to build stamina and power. Content includes the performance enhancement specialisation (NASM-PES) and a Level 4 strength and conditioning course.

These programmes expand the learner’s ability to work with clients at every level, from complete beginners to professional athletes.

In addition to the provision of skills and knowledge, learners also benefit from Premier Global NASM’s comprehensive online career service.

Here they can access a wealth of information on careers in the sector and further training options. This access continues for two years post-graduation from their chosen pathway.

“These new pathways, coupled with Premier Global NASM’s career services portal and close collaboration with the major employers in the fitness sector, enable us to provide learners with a wraparound support system, ensuring they enter the industry fit for purpose with all the tools they need to build a successful career,” says Rees. “All our education is based on proven, scientific theory, accredited by ActiveIQ and endorsed by CIMSPA.

“Through the creation of these pathways, we help fitness, wellbeing and sports professionals better understand opportunities to build a lifelong career in the sector. Without clear progression goals, many personal trainers get stuck in limbo, unsure how to advance.

“Without the motivation or understanding of how to grow and flourish, many people exit the sector to seek opportunities elsewhere. Our ambition is to attract talent to the workforce and then retain it, elevating standards and improving service delivery," concludes Rees.