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Register of Exercise Professionals (reps jobs)

Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS) is a uk rep-based scheme for personal trainers and fitness instructors. It recognizes industry-specific certifications, covers public liability, and requires that members work within an industry code.

In 2020, it was disbanded and its members were transferred to CIMSPA. What do this mean for fitness professionals?

How do I become an REP?

If you are a member of Prospect already, speak to the person who runs your branch about becoming a rep. There isn't a fixed amount of time required depending on whether you're able to perform union duties during work time (sometimes called facility time) and how much free time you have. You can't be disciplined simply because you are a union representative and there are laws to protect you from being victimized. Some branches also have equality reps - like women's officers, black members' officer and disabled members' officer to address specific forms of discrimination.

What is CIMSPA?

CIMSPA is the UK-based professional body for health and fitness professionals, is an industry recognised body that regulates trainers. Its purpose is to protect the public's interests in using fitness experts by ensuring they have all the necessary abilities and technical expertise, as well as training and insurance. It is also accountable to develop and maintain professional standards for the fitness industry.

The association brings together input from a wide range of stakeholders, including employers, NGBs and deployers, as along with higher education institutions, training providers and practitioners in order to shape the sector, and support its workforce and professionals. This is achieved by working in collaboration with the sector to understand and identify the needs of the profession and the barriers affecting the ability of the profession to provide.

As part of this mission, CIMSPA offers the basis for an assurance system of quality for fitness professionals by means of an endorsement process. This process recognizes the content and quality of formal qualifications and training courses. CIMSPA will usually endorse the regulated (Ofqual), qualifications that have been certified by an approved awarding body like Focus Awards or Active IQ and also certain types of continuing professional development (CPD) training.

Membership of CIMSPA also confers the status of a member within the industry. Members can access insurance that is specifically designed for them, representative such as public liability coverage up to PS10m and personal accident coverage. Members can also keep a record of their professional growth. Members can enroll in online courses at no cost and have access to a career website that is updated frequently with new job openings.

The organization is also part of the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals. This means that its members are able to make use of their registration to work in other countries as long as they hold the appropriate qualifications. The organisation is working hard to ensure that a uniform standard is established across the globe in order to allow the industry to grow and keep its name in the game.

The organisation is a non-profit and works in partnership with other organizations to provide support, education and guidance. The CIMSPA Academy also offers its members free online classes on a variety of topics relevant to the industry.

Are REPs qualifications recognized internationally?

The Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) was an independent public register that operated through an membership scheme. It was designed to protect the public and also to give employers and fitness professionals assurance that they worked with an individual who had been certified and recognized qualifications which coincided with National Occupational Standards.

REPs was an UK registered body and Representative as such only covers the UK fitness industry. It was not a requirement to have REPs, however it gave clients confidence that their fitness trainer was certified and operated to the highest standards.

In 2020, REPs will be sold to UK Coaching. An agreement with CIMSPA has been reached to combine the REPs Directory with the CIMSPA directory. Fitness professionals have the option to join both REPs and CIMSPA However, renewing REPs membership is not longer possible.

Although REPs has ceased operations in the UK however, they maintain an international presence through ICREPs which connects international registers and their fitness professionals. If you're a REPs registered personal trainer in the UK, then you can be a personal trainer in other countries that are ICREPs such as Australia. Ireland, Poland, South Africa, and UAE.

It is important to remember however REPs is not a guarantee of a job for fitness professionals or insurance coverage. This is because REPs is not a governing body it is an industry association that is mostly voluntary to join. Top international certification bodies like ACSM, NSCA, ISSA, NASM, and ACE are not associated with reps jobs, and therefore never promise any job or insurance coverage to their fitness professionals.

REPs is dedicated to keeping their members up-to-date of the ever-changing trends in the fitness industry. This is the reason REPs has an REPs points system that requires members to accumulate a the required number of REPs points each year in order to keep their REPs status. These REPs points are determined by their level of qualification and the amount of CPD courses that they attend.