So you have thought about becoming personal trainer, or you are currently on the path to completing your qualifications at the moment. Have you ever thought, what am I studying, and why am I studying this?
The Certificate III and IV in Fitness that we teach are the nationally recognised qualifications in fitness. Across Australia, all personal trainers are required to have at least these qualifications. They have this standardised qualification to ensure that all personal trainers have learnt the same information and are, at the very least, of a minimum standard.
Of course, how you study, the quality of teaching, and support you receive are completely down to individual training providers (known as Registered Training Providers), however the syllabus and requirements of each course unit are the same.
So who chooses what goes into the courses?
Service Skills Australia (www.serviceskills.com.au) is a non-profit independent organisation responsible for creating the training packages (syllabuses) for the sports, fitness, recreation, tourism, travel, hospitality, wholesale, retail and personal services industries. Funded by the Australian Government, Service Skills Australia has the huge task of ensuring each national qualification in these sectors is meeting the needs of employers and the industries as a whole. In consultation with industry experts, employers, training providers and professional registration bodies, Service Skills Australia ensure the information provided in the qualifications are up to date and relevant in the industry.
Why are there course codes, and what do they mean?
Every nationally recognised qualification has a course code so it is clear to perspective students what qualification they are looking at. The Department of Education and Training list all of these qualifications on their My Skills website (www.myskills.gov.au). In the fitness industry, the Certificate III in Fitness course code is currently SIS30315, and the Certificate IV in Fitness course code is SIS40215. Every time the national syllabus is updated, these course codes change slightly to help distinguish which ‘version’ of the course a student has completed.
What are the units within the Certificate III and IV in Fitness?
As well as having unique course codes, within each qualification there are also specific units that must be completed. In order to fully complete the Certificate III in Fitness you must complete 16 units, and to complete the Certificate IV in Fitness you must complete 20 units. Each unit covers different subjects within the industry to ensure you have a broad range of knowledge in all areas of fitness. Students are unable to choose which units they study, as they are all a required in order to complete the qualification. The units in our course can be shown below, and as you can see they also have their unique codes to identify them.
SIS30315 | Certificate III in Fitness – (Gym Instructor) |
SISFFIT001 | Provide health screening and fitness orientation |
SISFFIT002 | Recognise and apply exercise considerations for specific populations |
SISFFIT003 | Instruct fitness programs |
SISFFIT004 | Incorporate anatomy and physiology principles into fitness programming |
SISFFIT005 | Provide healthy eating information |
SISFFIT014 | Instruct exercise to older clients |
SISXCCS001 | Provide quality service |
SISXFAC001 | Maintain equipment for activities |
SISXIND001 | Work effectively in sport, fitness and recreation environments |
BSBRSK401 | Identify risk and apply risk management processes |
HLTAID003 | Provide first aid |
HLTWHS001 | Participate in workplace health and safety |
SISFFIT006 | Conduct fitness appraisals |
SISFFIT024 | Instruct endurance programs |
SISXCAI001 | Provide equipment for activities |
SISXFAC002 | Maintain sport, fitness and recreation facilities |
SIS40215 | Certificate IV in Fitness – (Personal Training) |
SISFFIT013 | Instruct exercise to young people aged 13 to 17 years |
SISFFIT015 | Collaborate with medical and allied health professionals in a fitness context |
SISFFIT016 | Provide motivation to positively influence exercise behaviour |
SISFFIT017 | Instruct long-term exercise programs |
SISFFIT018 | Promote functional movement capacity |
SISFFIT019 | Incorporate exercise science principles into fitness programming |
SISFFIT020 | Instruct exercise programs for body composition goals |
SISFFIT021 | Instruct personal training programs |
SISFFIT023 | Instruct group personal training programs |
SISFFIT025 | Recognise the dangers of providing nutrition advice to clients |
SISFFIT026 | Support healthy eating through the Eat for Health Program |
SISXRES001 | Conduct sustainable work practices in open spaces |
BSBSMB401 | Establish legal and risk management requirements of small business |
BSBSMB403 | Market the small business |
BSBSMB404 | Undertake small business planning |
BSBSLS408 | Present, secure and support sales solutions |
SISSSTC301A | Instruct strength and conditioning techniques |
SISSSTC402A | Develop strength and conditioning programs |
SISXCAI005 | Conduct individualised long term training programs |
SISFFIT012 | Instruct movement programs to children aged 5 – 12 years |
Are there any other personal training qualifications?
Within Australia, the Certificate III and IV in Fitness are the only nationally recognised qualifications that allow you to work as a gym instructor or personal trainer. You require them to work for both an employer or to run your own business. Most other qualifications, such as the short courses we include as part of our Industry Ready Package, are designed to build upon the knowledge of qualified personal trainers in specific areas of expertise. Although not a requirement, these qualifications help personal trainers become more qualified, knowledgeable and employable in the industry.
So what are you waiting for? If you are interested in becoming a personal trainer, enquire now for more information about studying your Certificate III and IV in Fitness with the Australian Fitness Academy. Furthermore, by studying with us you will stand out from the crowd with 8 additional certificates through our Professional Development Package.