ukactive and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) have teamed up to launch the Active Training Awards – a new set of industry accolades recognising workforce development across the sector.

Building on the Active Leisure Awards launched by Active IQ in 2013, the Active Training Awards will celebrate exceptional performance and commitment in vocational training and development within the physical activity sector.

“Our workforce is the bedrock of the physical activity sector and the investment delivered in this area is crucial to equip our professionals to guide and influence behaviour change at grassroots level”, said ukactive CEO David Stalker.

Training has long been identified as an area where the physical activity sector must strengthen in order to grow and it is hoped that the awards will help drive up standards and incentivise high-class innovation.

CIMSPA COO Tara Dillon added: “We are introducing a rigorous application and assessment process, enabling judges to truly get under the skin of what makes a training provider excel over the competition.

“We will also be able to provide all applicants with first class feedback, from which they can implement improvements to their solutions.”

The Active Training Awards aim to cover the breadth of the training industry, spanning eight different award categories:

• Apprenticeship & Traineeship Provider of the Year
• Innovative Training Programme of the Year
• Large Training Provider of the Year
• Small Training Provider of the Year
• Most Inspiring Health and Fitness Professional of the Year
• Employer of the Year
• Supplier Learning and Development Provider
• Special Populations Programme

All applications are subject to a three stage assessment process featuring a written assessment, a review of both learner and employer feedback and an expert panel. All applicants will receive a detailed expert feedback report, regardless of how far their application progresses, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of their submission and suggestions for improvement.

Entries open on Wednesday 6 August, while winners will be announced on 27 November at the Active Training Awards ceremony. According to ukactive, the location will be revealed at a later date.

For more information, click here.