The staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012 offers a unique opportunity for the active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector.
It has focussed the spotlight on the capacity of the sector to deliver a successful event with a sustainable legacy for sport, as well as the broader legacy using sport and the inspiration of the Games.
To achieve these twin aims, a skilled workforce is essential. SkillsActive will use the Games as a catalyst for change and as a cornerstone of our work.
SkillsActive's role in staging the Games:
- Help shape training for 70,000 volunteers through the Personal Best Programme
- Ensure availability of trained and qualified staff for all the venues – with priority focus on officials and stewards
- Roll out the Personal Best Programme to all Regions to re-engage the long-term workless and recruit into volunteer programme and paid employment;
- Prepare athletes for success with the expansion of the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE)
- Working with People 1st on the customer service Gold Standard – with rollout to raise standards across our sector.
SkillsActive's role in establishing a sporting legacy:
- Contribute to increased and sustained participation in sport (DCMS target)
- Contribute to omproved health through sustained increase in physical activity (DoH target)
- Establish excellence development pathway with AASE up and running as 16-19 option for all Olympic and Paralympic sports
- Strengthen sporting infrastructure structure - both capital and people
- Help create more active and qualified coaches, leaders, activators and officials
- Establish UK Coaching Framework and reflect this in standards and coach education
- Establish QCF and NGB qualifications within new model and make eligible for public funding
- Establish workforce planning in each sport to assess and monitor need and at local level through County Sports Partnerships
- Help strengthen sports club management with introduction of business support packages
- Research and agree licensing and registration for coaching (and potentially other professions) integrated with the activepassport scheme
