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The role of the lifeguard is to facilitate a safe aquatic environment to enable users to participate in a range of aquatic activities.
practitioner
The role
Lifeguards ensure that the aquatic environment is safe so that participants can take part in a range of aquatic activities. They work in a range of different environments including swimming pools, inland water and our amazing beaches.
Lifeguards work as part of a team and are responsible for the safe supervision and rescue of users within their care, as well as for intervening in and preventing accidents and dangerous situations. As a part of their role, lifeguards also deliver high levels of customer care and are public facing.
What it takes
The following common or transferable skills are most frequently asked for by employers in lifeguard job adverts across the UK:
| Skills and behaviours | % prevalence in job ads |
|---|---|
| Customer service | 33% |
| Communication | 27% |
| Cleanliness | 18% |
| Enthusiasm | 17% |
| Management | 14% |
| Operations | 14% |
| Teaching | 13% |
| Swimming | 13% |
| Professionalism | 12% |
| Detail orientated | 11% |
To find out more about the minimum knowledge, skills and behaviours an individual must understand and demonstrate to become a lifeguard, you can visit our occupational professional standards library.
Getting in
There are several ways you can become qualified as a lifeguard. Look at the options below to explore what option works best for you.
To become a lifeguard, you need to complete a qualification in pool lifeguarding such as the
You can browse all of our endorsed lifeguard qualifications in our Endorsed Training Directory.
Lifeguard courses are delivered in person or via a hybrid delivery format (online and in person) and have entry requirements including being able to:
The total course cost, study time and guided learning hours will vary depending on the delivery format, qualification and training provider you choose.
Some colleges and universities have embedded lifeguarding qualifications into their learning programmes.
In our Endorsed Training Directory, you can check what courses our CIMSPA endorsed colleges and universities offer as well as course entry requirements, a summary of course content/material and more information on how to apply.
The Leisure Team Member apprenticeship allows you to become qualified as a pool lifeguard. This apprenticeship also offers options to become qualified as a gym instructor, recreation assistant, swimming teacher and first aider alongside your lifeguard qualification.
You can find out more about completing a Leisure Team Member apprenticeship in via The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) website.
Training
Typical earnings
Not currently available
Demand
Not currently available
Typical working patterns
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As well as exploring new career pathways, as a lifeguard, you can also choose to progress your career by completing further training or continued professional development (CPD) in your role.
The content of the job posts displayed on the CIMSPA jobs board are pulled in through feeds from websites which are not under the control of CIMSPA.
CIMSPA will not be liable for any false, inaccurate, inappropriate or incomplete information presented on the jobs board.