Sport, Exercise and Leisure Services
This page has been designed to give a starting point for those looking into careers in sport, exercise and leisure services.
What is sport, exercise and leisure services?
The sport, exercise and leisure industries offer a very wide range of jobs. Most have the shared aim of helping people to enjoy their leisure time. The sports, recreation, health, fitness and outdoor sectors employ about 460,000 people in the UK.
This is an exciting time to be part of the sport and leisure sector. With high levels of investment planned by government and employers, mainly in response to the successful London Olympics bid for 2012, there are more graduate career opportunities than ever before (source - Prospects).
SkillsActive
This is the sector skills council for the health and fitness sector. You will also find the latest labour market information through the Working in Fitness Survey.
www.skillsactive.com
U-Explore: Sport and Active Leisure
As part of the sector skills council for the health and fitness sector you will find a wealth of information relating to careers in this sector with profiles, entry requirements, case studies and much more.
www.u-xplore.com
Prospects
Prospects is a graduate careers website with job profiles, including fitness centre manager, outdoor pursuits manager, sports administrator, sports coach/instructor, sports development officer, theme park manager.
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/leisportserv
Prospects Sector Guide
The Sport and leisure sector guide from Prospects contains information about working in the sector, how to get into it and much more.
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/sportsb
You might also find 'Your degree in Sports Management/Science: what next?' useful: www.prospects.ac.uk/links/sportpedeg
Target Jobs
Is a graduate careers website with the following sector profile:
Hospitality, leisure and tourism
How do I get into it?
Local Employment
There is a range of facilities in the area in the form of local authority and private sports and leisure centres and clubs. Most large hotels also have some health and fitness centre provision. Most facilities are listed in the Yellow Pages, while links to Local Authorities can be found at:
www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils
Sussex Sports Partnership
Partnership between the University of Brighton, Sport England, Brighton & Hove Unitary Council, East and West Sussex County Councils, all 12 Sussex Local Authorities and the sports organisations of Sussex. Site includes vacancies, information about volunteering and coaching.
www.activesussex.org
National Organisations
British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Look for courses at the university
See the courses database for University of Brighton courses in this area http://courses.brighton.ac.uk/
Sport, Exercise and Leisure Services
Finding a job or employer in this sector
Exercise Careers
Institute for Outdoor Learning
Jobs section
www.outdoor-learning.org
Leisure jobs UK
Leisure Vacancies
New Scientist
Select 'Sports Science' category
www.newscientistjobs.com/search.action
Outdoor Staff
World Leisure Jobs
www.leisureopportunities.co.uk
David Lloyd Leisure
The Fit Map
Listing of health clubs , gyms and personal trainers.
www.thefitmap.com
Fitness First
Health club chain, with over 350 clubs and 870,000 worldwide members. Run a one year graduate management scheme.
www.fitnessfirst.com
Holmes Place
Offer a management training scheme.
www.holmesplace.com
Sports Business
Coachme
Website for sports coaches to access part-time and full-time work.
www.coachme.co.uk
Sport Structures Recruitment
Offers new and exciting national and international opportunities for individuals in the sports industry.
www.sportstructures.com
Leisurework.com
A searchable database of current vacancies in the UK sport and leisure industry. All the relevant job information appears on just one page, and applicants can apply with a single click.
www.leisurework.com/
Further Information and Useful Links
Each year the university carries out a ‘first destination’ survey, which investigates and analyses the employment rate of the university’s graduates. Chelsea School is very well represented in these surveys and the results show that our graduates have a consistently higher rate of employment than the national average.
www.brighton.ac.uk/chelsea/graduates
Altitude Futures
Altitude Futures offers a 10 week course, training you to become a BASI qualified ski instructor.
www.altitude-futures.com
www.perfectgap.com
British Association of Sport Administration
Professional body for all those with an interest in the science of sport and exercise.
www.bases.org.uk/newsite/home.asp
Careers in Sport and Leisure - National Recruitment Event
Careers in Sport and Leisure is the national careers event for sport and leisure industry.
www.careersinsportandleisure.co.uk/
Department of Culture, Media and Sport
Fitness Industry Association
The Fitness Industry Association (FIA) is the trade body dedicated to promoting excellence and best practice within the health and fitness sector.
www.fia.org.uk
GymUser
GymUser.co.uk has THE most comprehensive online directory of information anywhere in the country. As well as the UK health clubs listings (all 5,700 of them) we also offer over 800 pages of information focused on weight loss, sports, leisure and general wellbeing.
www.gymuser.co.uk
Leisure Studies Association
www.leisure-studies-association.info
ISMPA
ISMPA is the professional body for the sport, parks and leisure industries formed from two substantial bodies, ILAM and NASD.
www.imspa.co.uk
Institute of Outdoor Learning
Sports Coach UK
Sport Northern Ireland
Sport Wales
Sport England
Sports Gateway
Sport Scotland
UK Sport