Training quality standard

The Training Quality Standard (TQS) is an assessment framework designed to recognise and celebrate the best organisations delivering training and development solutions to employers. 

The TQS has been created by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to develop a new higher standard for the certification of training providers, including those previously recognised as Centres of Vocational Excellence.

The Standard requires organisations to explain their strategy, the approaches they deploy, and the results they achieve, and to submit this for assessment. Those meeting the high standards required for capability and perfromance receive certification.

TQS part B

The TQS has been open for applications since June 2007, and curently 94 certifications have been awarded across 25 sectors. The Standard is comprised of two parts.

• Part A is for all organisations delivering training and measures responsiveness - how well a training provider manages its services to ensure a high quality customer experience to an employer, assessed across the entire organisation.
• Part B focuses on areas where organisations have expertise, for example sector knowledge, Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) links and Sector Qualifications Strategy (SQS) awareness, having already demonstrated their ability to serve employers through Part A. Part B does still measure the employer responsiveness but more significantly how the training provider links to local sector specific issues as a basis for the training provided. 

In sport and fitness

Sport and fitness is an important sector in the UK economy with around 400,000 employees. Employment in the sector has soared since 1999, with higher than average growth expected to continue in the near future.

There are over 28,000 people on the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs - the register of approved fitness workers). SkillsActive seeks to ensure that these workers, volunteers and new people entering the sector have the skills to meet national standards.

It is government policy to fund quality training and recognise the best training providers. Consequently they will increasingly look to see that TQS Part B has been achieved, so that the growing sector workforce is skilled to the highest levels by quality assured training providers.

This is refelcted in the criteria for becoming a National Skills Academy recognised training provider.

"TQS is a key quality mark for the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure. It demonstrates engagement with, and responsiveness to our sector employers needs; which are two key criteria we look for in our provider partners. Consequently we expect all Centres of Excellence to have either achieved TQS or to have applied and be working towards it, and we encourage all our larger Academy Providers to work towards it.”
Florence Orban, Chief Executive National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure

How can SkillsActive help?

SkillsActive fully supports training providers attaining the TQS Part B mark since this underpins the move towards higher quality training and therefore better skilled workers in the sector. SkillsActive can offer a package of direct support to training providers wishing to go through the application process.

Find out more

For more information get in touch with us or visit the Training Quality Standard website.  

Endorsement

SkillsActive endorsement offers an independent seal of approval and verification to courses, workshops or seminars that you offer.

In today’s competitive market SkillsActive Endorsement means:

• Prospective students can easily identify courses, which will make them more employable, allowing them to make informed choices about their future.
• Training providers can ensure the courses, workshops and seminars they offer have currency and relevance to the industry.
• Endorsed courses will be promoted by partners across the sport and active leisure sector.
• More employees in the sector will have relevant knowledge, experience and skills.
• Employers and potential students can easily identify programmes of study that have been independently evaluated and are recognised by the industry’s Sector Skills Council.
• Employers and potential students can easily identify courses, which reflect government agendas highlighting the importance of linking continued learning to industry and increasing employability.

currently offer endorsement for Health and Fitness and Playwork, with more information available in those sections.

We also can assist in organisations looking to gain the Training Quality Standard (TQS) part B.

If you have any enquiries about our endorsement processes please email our  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call them on 0207 632 2006.

Functional skills

Functional skills are the practical skills in English, information and communication technology (ICT) and mathematics that allow individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life.

From September 2010 Functional Skills will be a mandatory part of the Apprenticeships Frameworks replacing Key Skills.

Functional skills will be highly valued by both employers and higher education providers for their impact on productivity, independence and achievement. Functional skills assessment requires learners to show that they can use skills confidently in a range of different situations (depending on the qualification level). Learners are expected to apply their skills in practical tasks and scenarios and to show that they can use problem-solving techniques effectively.

Functional skills are not graded: learners are awarded a pass or fail at one of five levels:

• entry 1
• entry 2
• entry 3
• level 1
• level 2

Further information and support in regards to functional skills can be found in this functional skills factsheet, under programmes on the LSIS Excellence Gateway website, the Functional Skills Support Programme website or alternatively, the Functional Skills Support Programme team is available to answer any related queries:

• by telephone: 0844 335 2938 (Open from 9am - 5pm Monday-Friday excluding Public Holidays)
• by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Back to the apprenticeships pages.

Young Apprenticeship in sports management, leadership and coaching

Young Apprenticeships provide an opportunity for 14 to 16 year-olds to combine academic studies with a blend of vocational qualifications and work placements. 

Young apprentices learn the practical skills and knowledge required by employers, whilst studying for qualifications which specifically relate to the sector.

A Young Apprenticeship (YA) is completed during years 10 and 11 (key stage 4) of secondary education, and is completed alongside core curriculum subjects such as English, maths and science. Young apprentices will follow the core national curriculum subjects for three days a week with two days a week on average spent on the YA programme.

Please note - In May 2011 the government withdrew funding for all Young Apprenticeship programmes. Therefore, cohort 7 (2010-2012) will be the last group of learners to complete the programme.

What does it entail?

Through the programme, students will complete:

• Level 2 vocational qualification in sport and leisure (worth between 2-4 GCSE’s at A*-C grade).
• NVQ level 1 in sport and active leisure (QCF) which helps to structure their work placement(s).
• 50 days structured work experience with one, or a range of employers in the sector which might include professional sports clubs, national governing bodies of sport, leisure centres, activity camps and fitness studios.
• A variety of other qualifications which will help prepare the young apprentice for the world of work and specific requirements of the sector (e.g. junior sports leader award or STA level 2 certificate for national rescue standard – poolside helper).

Further information

For further information download a copy of one of the our brochures below or view our introductory video:

• YA Value for Money and Sector Impact Report
• Employer guide
• Parent guide
• Student guide
• Work experience guide
• Young Apprentice Log Book
• Newsletters

Young Apprenticeship evaluation

We have recently been evaluating Cohort 5 of the Young Apprenticeship Programme and results are now available.

You can also download the evaluation of Cohort 4 which was delivered between September 2007 and July 2009 as well as the evaluation of Cohort 3, which was delivered between September 2006 and July 2008.

Contact us

For further information please contact SkillsActive on 020 7632 2000 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SkillsActive offers Apprenticeships in areas such as sport, fitness, playwork and the outdoors.

Apprenticeships are available at different levels, and each leads to:

• Competence based qualification (NVQ)
• Knowledge qualifications
• Transferrable skills (key skills or functional skills)

The Apprenticeship framework and choice of competence qualification will depend on the individual's country, work experience and job role.

Frameworks and guidance

To learn more about these Apprenticeship frameworks see Frameworks and Guidance

Frameworks and Guidance>

Training, education and qualifications

Find out about the broad range of training, education and qualifications available across our sector.

Education

Within this section you will find details of Apprenticeships, the 14-19 education reform along with information on the different types of qualifications available in our sector.

National occupational standards

Much of this work is based on our national occupational standards, which establish the competence required by those in the sector and form the key component of many qualifications.

Basic skills

Information is also available on the importance of adult literacy, language and numeracy skills and resources available to help employers improve their employees skills in these areas.

Endorsement

For training providers, there is information about endorsement available in playwork, fitness and through the Training Quality Standard.

Engagement

Training providers and employers have the opportunity to input into the development of these qualifications and standards, look out for details on our latest projects.

You can also be actively involved in our work by becoming a member. For more information on becoming a SkillsActive member and the benefits of doing so, see our membership section.