The Gym Group has revealed plans to launch its own branded personal training academy.

Working in partnership with Lifetime Training, The Gym Personal Training Academy will look to offer career pathways for people seeking a career as a personal trainer.

The first academy sites have now launched in London, Manchester and Birmingham, with more locations to be added later in 2018.

Participants will receive a Level 3 Diploma upon completion, a guaranteed interview with The Gym Group, end-to-end support from training to self-employment, and a year’s free gym membership.

The Gym Group expects to attract 350 candidates per year and the training will prepare each to work as a personal trainer in The Gym Group, by integrating bespoke content within the course.

Jacqueline Regan, people director at The Gym Group, said: “Our aim is that it will not only support personal trainers to operate their own business, but also provide the consistency of personal training that our members tell us they are looking for.

“We will also offer participants in the academy some fantastic personal development through our 12-month CPD offering, which is underpinned by four key themes: building a better business, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and training for the general population.

The Gym Personal Training Academy curriculum has been designed in partnership with Lifetime Training.

Sean Cosgrove, chief commercial officer at Lifetime, said: “Partnerships such as this are the perfect way to combine the expertise of a training provider with the real-life experience of an operator.

"We’ve been working on this project for close to 12 months, so it’s fantastic to see it come to life to support learners become qualified and start their careers with The Gym Group.

"This type of partnership can only benefit the industry as a whole by creating better-educated fitness professionals.”