There is a range of intermediate level and advanced level Apprenticeships available in the sector, covering sport, fitness, playwork, caravans, the outdoors, and hair and beauty.
Apprenticeships usually take between 12 and 24 months to complete, depending on the type and level of Apprenticeship. Anyone aged over 16 and not in full-time education can apply.
Apprenticeships provide an entry point into many jobs in the active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector. Find out what exciting careers you could get into with Apprenticeships with SkillsActive Careers.
There’s a wide variety of Apprenticeships available in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Select a country below to learn more about the types of Apprenticeships available in your area.
The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) is SkillsActive's flagship sporting qualification for young people in England and Wales. It is designed for people with the realistic potential to achieve excellent in their sport, either by competing on the world stage or securing a professional contract.
Keep track of the training, qualifications and work experience you accrue during your Apprenticeship with an activepassport™
activepassport™ is a verified online record that enables you to prove to employers you possess the right skills, training, and experience. What’s more, you can convert it into a professional looking CV.|
If you’re an individual, activepassport™ can:
Over 20,000 people in the UK currently have an activepassport™, and more than 40 UK sport and leisure CEOs representing 70% of the workforce have signed a skills protocol, committing they will work towards their employees holding and maintaining an activepassport™ as standard.
To get your activepassport™, simply become an ActiveOnline user.
Learn more about becoming an ActiveOnline user>
SkillsActive can help those looking for an active, rewarding career find the right training programme to get started!
Alternatively, find apprenticeship opportunities in your area by browsing the vacancies section of the National Apprenticeship Service.
SkillsActive works on behalf of the active leisure, learning and well-being sector to develop a framework of qualifications, training and continuous professional that meet employer needs, ensuring the workforce is properly trained and qualified.
Through our National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, we deliver those qualifications, ensuring the training is quality assured, cost effective and relevant to employers’ needs.
SkillsActive works with training providers to deliver a wide range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to help people maintain their professional knowledge and skills.
SkillsActive offers a range of resources to help people upskill in areas such as communication, literacy and numeracy, and management.
SkillsActiveCareers provides expert advice on the training you need to work in the sport, fitness, playwork, outdoors and caravan industries.
As part of SkillsActive strategy to access appropriate funding on behalf of the sector, a success application was submitted to Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Growth and Innovation fund in June 2011. Specifically, SkillsActive applied to the Joint Investment Programme strand of the fund, which matches government funding with that from employers in England to deliver skills in sectors with real business productivity and growth ambitions. The programme provided access to funded training for employers in the playwork and fitness sectors.
While training is currently ongoing for individuals who have been accepted onto the programme, the JIP is now closed for new learners. SkillsActive is working with its partners in the sector to bring new funded training opportunities to individuals and employers and we will post information about these opportunities on this site when available.
As an issuing authority, SkillsActive also works closely with Habia, the government appointed standards setting body for the hair and beauty industry.
Discover more about our work in sport.
• Training & qualifications
• Expert Groups
• Our work with NGBs
Discover more about our work in the fitness industry.
• Training & qualifications
• Expert Groups
• REPs
Discover more about our work in playwork.
• Training & qualifications
• Playwork strategy
• Playwork principles
We are pleased to announce that the new playwork level 2 qualifications have now been approved and are available to learners from awarding organisations City and Guilds, CACHE and EDI.
If you’d like more information on centres that are running the courses, costs, or how long it might take, please contact one of the awarding organisations who can put you in touch with your nearest training provider.
Find out more about the new level 2 playwork qualifications.
The development of the new playwork level 3 qualifications is now complete and available from City and Guilds, Cache and EDI.
If you would like more information on centres that are running the courses, costs, or how long it might take, please contact one of the awarding organisations who can put you in touch with your nearest training provider.
Find out more about the new level 3 playwork qualifications.
Work on the level 4 qualifications is progressing quickly. Initial research suggested that the sector would like a level 4 Award in Playwork, a level 4 Certificate in Playwork and a level 4 Diploma in Playwork (NVQ).
Draft units are currently out for final consultation, with the intention of them being available to learners in January 2011. More information on the structure and content will be posted on this site soon.
Due to popular demand, SkillsActive has been working with employers and awarding organisations to convert the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Award in Playwork for Early Years and Childcare Workers into a short qualification suitable for the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). It provides the knowledge and understanding of Playwork for early years staff who have already achieved a level 3 qualification which was based on the children’s care, learning and development standards. The new qualification contains 2 units, is called the Level 3 Award in Transition to Playwork from Early Years and is on course to be available from awarding organisations from 1 March 2011.
The aim of this new qualification structure is to support learners who are entering the profession to qualify in bite sized chunks. However there is also the opportunity for more experienced workers to come straight in at diploma level and demonstrate their achievement of all the award and certificate requirements as part of their diploma (NVQ).
The award covers the key elements needed for a worker to undertake level 3 responsibilities and be safe with children and young people. It contains both knowledge-based learning as well as opportunities to practice.
The award is short enough to be accessible to those working for only a few weeks a year in a temporary capacity, and should be considered an induction to the role of the playworker. In order to make sure that learning does not need to be repeated, the award is nested within the certificate.
The certificate covers the core of the playwork standards and an element of practice, and will equip learners with the knowledge and understanding they need to gain employment in the sector.
To gain the certificate in playwork, learners will cover the award plus the additional certificate units at the same level. This qualification aims to prepare people to work in the sector, in order that they can gain competence through practice and progress to the diploma.
The diploma covers all of the necessary playwork national occupational standards, and is considered a full qualification for both funding and regulatory requirements for the Early Years and Childcare Registers.
The qualification also reflects wider aspects of working with children and young people which are appropriate to the playworker’s role at this level.
The Diploma (NVQ) is so-called because it contains assessment of performance against agreed standards and, through this, provides evidence that the holder is competent.
Please note that the CWDC Level 3 Diploma in Work with Children and Young People is not a playwork qualification, as it has been designed for people working in early years, social care and learning and development i.e. those sectors in the CWDC footprint.
It does not cover the playwork principles nor does it reflect the playwork approach to work with children and young people. However, we have used three of the most relevant core units from the CWDC Diploma in our level 3 qualifications, and will continue to work with CWDC to identify ways in which recognition of our respective qualifications can be achieved.
For information on the CWDC Diploma in Work with Children and Young people, visit the CWDC website for more details.
For more information on playwork qualifications, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The aim of this new qualification structure is to support learners who are entering the profession to qualify in bite sized chunks. However there is also the opportunity for more experienced workers to come straight in at diploma level and demonstrate their achievement of all the Award and Certificate requirements as part of their diploma.
The award covers the key elements needed for a worker to undertake level 2 responsibilities and be safe with children and young people.
It contains both knowledge-based learning as well as opportunities to practice. It is short enough to be accessible to those working for only a few weeks a year in a temporary capacity, and should be considered an induction to the role of the playworker. In order to make sure that learning does not need to be repeated, the award is nested within the certificate.
The certificate covers the core of the playwork standards and an element of practice, and will equip learners with the knowledge and understanding they need to gain employment in the sector.
To gain the certificate in playwork, learners will cover the award plus the additional certificate units at the same level. This qualification aims to prepare people to work in the sector, in order that they can gain competence through practice and progress to the diploma.
The diploma covers all of the necessary playwork national occupational standards to be considered a full qualification for funding and regulatory requirements for the Early Years and Childcare Registers.
It reflects the aspects of the work common to all that work with children and young people and which are appropriate to the playworker’s role at this level.
The Diploma (NVQ) is so-called because it contains assessment of performance against agreed standards and, through this, provides evidence that the holder is competent.
For more information on playwork qualifications, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
We are pleased to announce the release of our new UK play and playwork education and skills strategy for 2011 – 2016, which replaces the previous UK strategy, ‘Quality Training, Quality Play’.
It is the culmination of an incredible amount of energy and focus, and SkillsActive would like to thank all those across the UK who participated in focus groups and workshops and responded to our consultation.
The key points from the strategy are:
A skilled, qualified and developing play workforce, whose practice is underpinned by the Playwork Principles, who provide high quality, accessible play opportunities for children and young people
Download the UK play and playwork education and skills strategy for 2011 – 2016
Download the full suite as a zip file or individual units below.
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PW20 Work with other organisations agencies and professionals Final Version Approved July 2010
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A321 Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Final Version Approved July 2010
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A322 Provide leadership in your area of responsability Final Version Approved July 2010
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A28 Obtain additional finance for the organisation Final Version Approved July 2010
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A42 Provide information to support decision making Final Version Approved July 2010
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PW19 Manage and develop play facilities and services Final Version Approved July 2010
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A29 Manage finance for your area of responsability Final Version Approved July 2010
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PW38 Implement contemporary frameworks within a play context Final Version Approved July 2010
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A337 Support individuals to develop and maintain their performance Final Version Approved July 2010
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A319 Recruit select and keep colleagues Final Version Approved July 2010
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D16 Establish and develop working relationships Final Version Approved July 2010
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PW21 Develop and implement procedures to safeguard children and ... Final Version Approved July 2010
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PW10 Reflect on and develop practice Final Version Approved July 2010
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PW17 Develop manage and review operational plans for play provision Final Version Approved July 2010
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PW18 Obtain the facilities and services required for play provision Final Version Approved July 2010
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They are based on the recognition that children and young people’s capacity for positive development will be enhanced if given access to the broadest range of environments and play opportunities:
We endorsed the playwork principles back in 2004 and they are incorporated into the national occupational standards.
Any reference in writing or otherwise to the Playwork Principles should be attributed to the Playwork Principles Scrutiny Group, Cardiff 2005.
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