Institute of Swimming courses available through CIMSPA ReTrain – a £1.5m training initiative funded by Sport England

The Institute of Swimming is part of a fantastic new initiative launched by CIMSPA. ReTrain provides employers with fully-funded training, backed by The National Lottery through Sport England, enabling them to plug any skills gaps they have post lockdown.

With a recent CIMSPA survey indicating that up to 6% of the activity workforce (30,000 people) are planning to leave the sector, ReTrain will be a vital resource to support employers by providing free staff training, enabling them to work in new roles. This will help employers in England to continue providing valuable sport and leisure services to their local communities, with a particular focus on areas of social deprivation.

Employer partners of CIMSPA, CLUK and ukactive, based in England, are invited to identify their skills gaps and apply to CIMSPA for Phase 1 of the free training at www.cimspa.co.uk/retrain.

As a CIMSPA Training Provider Partner, the Institute of Swimming has their SEQ Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching), SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming and PWTAG Approved Pool Plant Operator course available as part of ReTrain.

Colin Huffen, Head of Education, CIMSPA, commented:

“Staying fit and healthy is one of the best ways to combat the threat of Covid-19, and the sport and physical activity workforce will play a vital role in keeping the nation fit and healthy as we go forward. There is a real risk, however, of a significant number of people not returning to work in the sector after lockdown. ReTrain is a major investment in addressing this and helping employers to plug any skills gaps they have, enabling them to continue providing this vital service to the public. Thanks go to Sport England and everyone who plays the National Lottery, raising £30m per week for good causes such as ReTrain.”

Rebecca Cox, Swim England Business Engagement Director and Institute of Swimming Managing Director, Said:

“Swimming pools play a vital role in supporting their local communities health and wellbeing and teaching an important life skill. We want to make sure that a shortfall in the workforce does not stand in the way of these services being available at their maximum capacity and that we can use this opportunity to bring more people closer to the sector to enjoy the fantastic employment opportunities it provides.”

Any employer in England in partnership with CIMSPA, ukactive or Community Leisure UK can find out more and apply at the link below.

Find out more and apply.