Advice and resources for parents and carers
When your child reaches the stage where it’s important to explore careers, it can be hard to know where to start.
We’ve put together a collection of resources to help you support your young person as they make decisions about their future.
Conversations
Most young people don’t automatically know what type of work they’d like to do when they leave school. To help them explore the opportunities available and consider what might suit them best, it’s important for them to have conversations with trusted adults as early as possible and on a regular basis. This will make big decisions seem more manageable.
Talking Futures offers a range of guidance on talking to your child about their career and education pathway. Their advice and tools will help you to get off to a good start with discussing options and the future.
Learning and qualifications
Once your child has settled on a job role that they’d like to work in, it’s time to gain the necessary qualifications to do so. In the sport and physical activity sector, there are a wide range of ways to train and gain the knowledge required, whether your child wants to be a football coach or a Pilates instructor.
Explore career ideas
Once you’ve started the conversation, it’s time to look at what careers your child might be interested in and find out what they involve. If your child enjoys sport and exercise, they might want to pursue a career in sport and physical activity.
To allow you and your child to explore the different parts of the sector and the roles available – including hours worked, average salary and qualifications required – we have created profiles for each based on real insight, data and case studies.
What's the best role for you?
Further education (college)
Continuing with education in a school environment can make the transition into adult life smoother for some young people. With many courses available offering skills for future careers, there is something for everyone in your local area.
When choosing a course, it’s important to ensure that your child will gain the skills they need to gain a job and make a start in their career. In the sport and physical activity sector, CIMSPA has been working with employers to determine the skills needed for future recruits as well as the roles in demand. We have then partnered with further education colleges to develop curriculums that equip students with everything they need to succeed.
Higher education (university)
If your child is interested in higher education, studying sport and physical activity at university offers plenty of opportunities for gaining in-depth knowledge for their chosen career. With high-quality courses in a number of disciplines available at universities across the UK, they will be able follow their passion in a place that they love.
Nowadays, degree qualifications require significant financial investment. Because of this, it’s essential that your child is able to make the most out of their learning. That’s why CIMSPA partners with higher education institutions to align their courses with the sport and physical activity sector employer needs.
Apprenticeships
Maybe your child is more of a practical learner. In that case, an apprenticeship might be the best way for them to get into a career. On-the-job training offers real-life experience, while one day a week in the classroom cements the essential learning.
Many employers offer apprenticeships in a range of sport and physical activity roles, so if this sounds like it would suit your child, read our guide to apprenticeships and find out what options are available near to you.
Other training opportunities
Outside of formal education, there are a whole host of learning opportunities available in the sport and physical activity sector. From extended courses to bite-sized training sessions, your child can learn valuable skills in a way that suits them.
Using the CIMSPA endorsed training directory, you and your child can explore their options safe in the knowledge that each course listed is quality-assured, matched to skills and knowledge needed by sector employers and delivered by a training provider that is committed to delivering the best possible learning experience.
Jobs board
When the time comes to find a job, you want to be sure that your child is able to find a suitable role with a trustworthy employer. While many job sites can be overwhelming, the CIMSPA sector jobs board is clear, focused and easy to use.
Displaying only sport and physical activity sector roles advertised by trusted CIMSPA partners, your child will be able to find a job that’s right for them with ease. Filter by industry, role, location and more to explore relevant and high-quality career opportunities.
Applying for jobs
Once your child has found a job that they’re excited about and would like to apply for, they may be unsure of how to do so. With the job applications, CVs and even sometimes interviews now often being entirely digital, it might be helpful to brush up your knowledge on the process so that you can best support your child.
We’ve put together a selection of guidance covering CV writing, interview skills and a step-by-step guide to the full process of applying for a job.
With tips and examples tailored to the sport and physical activity sector, we want to help your child get off to the best start in their career journey.