Before jumping into any new career, it’s a good idea to get the lay of the land. For many, they go straight into identifying how they will qualify for the said profession. Meanwhile, others will research the industry’s future and how clear their standing will be in said industry.
Currently, with the global pandemic, many industries have faced major challenges, including the fitness industry. So, if you’re thinking about being a professional in the fitness industry, here are some trends and insights and how true they still hold amid the pandemic.
Employment Trends
The fitness industry employs a broad range of professionals. This includes gym and group fitness instructors, personal trainers, fitness service coordinators, aqua, and other specialised trainers. Below are the employment trends released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics pre-COVID-19 for the Sport, Fitness and Recreation industry.
Source: nationalindustryinsights.aisc.net.au
The graph above shows that from 2020 to 2024, there is a massive increase in employment projection for the sports and physical recreation industry. There was a big dip pre-2020, but employment figures are expected to rise exponentially in the next few years, from 61,000 nationwide fitness professionals in 2020 to over 133,000 by 2024. Meanwhile, the projected employment growth for each occupation under said industry can be seen below.
Source: nationalindustryinsights.aisc.net.au
It shows an increased rate of the workforce between 2019 and 2024, with Fitness Instructors projected at 16.1% on par with sports coaches and officials. Meanwhile, Sportspersons are at 12.6%, followed by Sports Centre Managers at 10.2%.
Industry Insights
So, what are the skills usually required in job vacancies in the fitness industry? Well, in addition to the specialised qualifications you’d expect for each profession, you’d also be wise to invest in soft skills like communication, organisational, planning, time management, and being generally energetic.
Next, what are the occupations in demand for the following years? The top 5 are fitness instructors, sports coaches or other instructors, information officers, swimming instructors, and sales and marketing managers.
Finally, what companies will you most likely find fitness related job vacancies in? Some of the industry’s biggest employers are YMCA, Anytime Fitness, Fitness First, Goodlife Health Clubs, and Snap Fitness.
The above data is based on the Sport and Recreation IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, which encourages the fitness industry to take advantage of the increasing population and rising discretionary income of Australians. Moreover, a large portion of Australians have become more health-conscious and are therefore looking for avenues to increase their physical activity.
The Fitness Industry Amid COVID-19
Now that we’ve covered some of the most important stats you’ll need to know for the fitness industry, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – the global pandemic.
On March 23rd of the last year, 2020, the $3 billion a year fitness industry took a huge hit. According to Rachel Ely, a marketing coordinator at Fitness Australia, 6,400 fitness businesses closed, resulting in 35,000 staff being immediately out of work. As a result, over 4 million Australians lost the option for gym-based exercises. In fact, according to Fitness Australia’s COVID-19 Fitness Industry Impacts Report, “81% of exercise professionals and sole traders had lost their job or main source of income”.
The 2020 projection previously shared was staying true to itself. But, don’t let this dissuade you – it has also been reported that the fitness industry is strengthening in the last 12 months. Fitness Australia Chief Executive Barrie Elvish shared some very heartening statistics through their job listings board that saw an 88% increase than the average in 2019.
John Pirlo, owner of eight Genesis Health Clubs and founder of the Ninja Parc Franchise, shared how within 30 days of reopening and following COVIDSafe procedures, they were back to about 60% of their revenue, a staggering difference to the 10% when they continued operations online. Moreover, within the next four months, they have reached 95% of revenue, with the majority of their members back in the game.
Conclusion
The fitness industry will push forward. This is especially true since many people have stayed in their homes for a long period and are looking for ways to stay active. To meet this surge of clients, many employers in the fitness industry will be opening job vacancies all over the country. So, do you have a future as a fitness professional in the fitness industry? Definitely, and if you’re ready to jump right into it, now is as good a time as any.
