CAREER LONGEVITY
How to Spot a Great Fitness Registrar
To be more highly regarded as an industry, we need to take charge of the narrative. A big part of this is using registration to provide greater transparency and accountability for our industry professionals. But this is only part of the job of industry registration. While insight goes a long way to increasing respect for fitness as a career, it’s the services registration provides that encourage more professionals to join. And the more registered professionals we have, the closer we are to fulfilling our self-regulation obligations.
To help you make a more informed choice about where to invest your registration dollars, we’ve put together a list of services that you should expect from any provider.
But first, here are a few basics:
A Registrar ensures that fitness qualifications are genuine and appropriate for the nominated specialisation (the specialisation puts credentials in context).
Advocacy or union activities are not registration services. In reality, these activities are typically a diversion of attention and resources, often towards speculative outcomes that have no direct benefit to registered professionals.
There are no government-mandated rules or conditions on any provider. This means, all registrars, in all locations, are implementing their version of registration, using their own rules and requirements (e.g., CECs, accepted learning, etc).
A Registrar exists to serve the industry, not the other way around. Beware of any registrar that insists they are the only option.
KEY FEATURES OF A GREAT FITNESS REGISTRATION SERVICE
01
Easy verification of registration
Giving clients and employers the ability to easily verify registration by surname, profile URL or registration number goes a long way to improving industry transparency and increasing respect for the accomplishments of fitness professionals.
FITREC offers a search tool on our home page and all certificates (PDFs) link to your FITREC profile.
02
Online profiles that best represent your expertise
All professionals are different with varied interests and specialisations. Registration should help make this clear. The days of ‘registered / not registered’ are long past. Therefore, professional profiles should reflect, as much as possible, your unique professional journey. FITREC profiles can include education, experience, bio, images, videos, mentors, related achievements, and references.
03
Job search and recruitment tools
Recognising that registration is most often required for industry-related work, it follows that your registration service should be tailored to assist with the recruitment process and help provide employment opportunities.
FITREC profiles are designed to be an industry-specific CV. Professionals can include key information such as education, ongoing development and work history, FITREC also offers a job board where registered members can apply using their FITREC profile.
04
Portability of registration (without additional cost)
Portability of registration allows professionals to develop their skills in other countries. This helps keep professionals in the industry and allows employers to recruit from a broader pool of candidates. True portability does not cost extra and does not require validation from a third party/local registrar.
FITREC provides registration for ALL fitness professionals. Our ability to recognise international qualifications means that we offer one registration for all regions.
05
Prompt responses to questions or resolution of issues
Industry registrars assist in the smooth running of the industry by ensuring that qualifications are appropriate, that collective knowledge is shared, and that questions and requests from stakeholders are answered quickly and effectively. A registrar should not be a handbrake or bottleneck that prevents progress.
FITREC has a reputation for quick turnaround on registration and queries.
06
Publications to improve the industry knowledgebase
An important role for an industry registrar is the curation of industry-relevant content. By making this information available to all industry professionals, a registrar can help raise industry standards, broaden horizons and bring together a global fitness community.
FITREC provides the fitness industry with Raising the Bar, an online magazine that contains contributions on a range of topics from a variety of respected thought leaders.
07
No conflicts of interest
Registration services should be free of influence from any business operations that may undermine their service or offering for professionals. Common examples include selling education or selling advocacy work.
FITREC is focused on the delivery of registration for professionals. Our registration for businesses and suppliers is designed to support professionals and their fitness careers.
08
Operates ethically and with integrity
From individual interactions to broader business behaviour, a registrar’s interactions with the industry should be an example of best practice.
FITREC operates with its values front of mind. Our commitment to honesty, for example, has led FITREC to be the first and only registrar to acknowledge that registration and the accumulation of CEC/PDP are not legal requirements.
09
Provides encouragement and support to stay in the industry
Efforts to minimise registration costs and provide encouragement and support to remain in the industry are paramount. This extends to welcoming the return of professionals who previously left the industry.
FITREC offers the industry’s only loyalty program that reduces your registration fees, the longer you’re registered. FITREC also recognises qualifications completed earlier if looking to return to the industry.
Dennis Hosking
Dennis is the Founder of FITREC and HealthyPeople. Created after more than 30 years in the fitness industry and inspired by his passion for making life easier for industry professionals through employment, staffing and fitness registration services and support.
