Sport

England has a great sporting heritage, as the origin of many of the world's most popular sports such as football, cricket and rugby. It is also true to say that the English, as a nation, are passionate about sport, indeed sport is part of the fabric of the English way of life.

There is nothing better to boost the feelgood factor for our country and our national pride than when our sports professionals excel on the international stage, such as the recent great success enjoyed by Team GB in the recent Olympics and Paralympics.

To succeed and excel in Sport we need to encourage, nurture and grow our sporting talent through having the right coaches, referees, stewards and support staff qualified and equipped with the right skills. That's where the NSA plays a vital role in providing easier access to these qualifications and skills through a coherent and innovative approach to training provision within the sector.

As a sector, Sport and Recreation is a growing and exciting one. There are numerous career and development opportunities available working in coaching, officiating, sports development, administration, and sports or leisure facility management. With the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games many new jobs will be created and many more people both young and old will be encouraged to take up sport as part of the drive to get the nation active.

Fitness

The fitness industry has seen a great deal of growth over the last few years with many people recognising  the obvious benefits that leading a fit and healthy lifestyle can bring. Almost 7 million people in the UK are now registered as members of leisure centres, health clubs or gyms, and this figure is set to rise as the fit and active lifestyle becomes more popular.

The NSA works actively with the fitness sector providing a clear and coherent approach to training provision helping raise both the standards and professionalism of the industry. Within the fitness industry there are many career and development opportunities available such as fitness instructor, leisure centre manager, personal trainer, pilates instructor and yoga instructor. Given the nature of the work, qualifications are an essential requirement and the NSA can help provide access to these and the skills required to succeed.

The fitness sector is both a fun and vibrant sector to work in and gives those fortunate enough to work in it, a great sense of achievement in knowing that they are making a real difference in helping improve peoples health and wellbeing.