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Health & Fitness (Vocational)

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Mr. R. Ellis

Head of Department

Careers in Physical Education

Level 2 Technical Award in Health and Fitness (V-Cert) 

Overview of the V-Cert Health and Fitness 

Unit 1 Written External Exam 

Unit 2 Synoptic Project 
  • The exam is external and set by the exam board. 
  • It is worth 40% of your final grade. 
  • You are only allowed 1 retake. 
  • It is out of 80 marks.  You need at least 48 marks to pass at Level 2. 
  • The exam is 1 hour 30 minutes. 
  • Once all aspects have been taught from Unit 1 and Unit 2, the exam board will set a synoptic project which will be assessed by your teacher. 
  • It brings together all of your knowledge from the units and will be coursework based.   
  • It is worth 60% of your final grade. 

 
Overview – Why take Health and Fitness? 

  • This is a vocational qualification – so theory and practically based. 
  • It is equivalent to GCSE grades 8.5 – 1. 
  • It is ideal for students who want to develop a core knowledge and understanding and know how to apply these qualities to the Health and Fitness sector. 
  • It can lead to other Level 2 (GCSE) or Level 3 (A Levels) qualifications. 
  • Other subjects that complement the course are: Food preparation and nutrition, Maths, English and Science.

You should take V-Cert if… 
  • You enjoy fitness and want to learn more about health. 
  •  You have a keen interest in Sport and Physical Activity. 
  •  You are keen on personal development. 
  •  You have good grades in Science. 
  •  You are interested in how the body works in relation to Sport and Physical Activities. 
  •  You are committed to extra-curricular PE clubs / keeping fit. 
  •  You are willing to work hard. 

Where can V-Cert take you… 
  • Other Level 2 courses at Post 16. 
  • Level 3 courses at Post 16. 
  • Cambridge Technicals Level 3 in Sport and Physical Activity. 
  • Career in the health and fitness industry such as personal trainer, leisure centre work etc. 

 

Careers in Physical Education

There is a wide range of jobs available in this sector.  Recruitment opportunities into careers in Physical Education, is always competitive.

There are a number of career settings that you can become involved with and progress in. These include Sport, Health, Fitness, leisure and teaching.

Below are some ideas of the different types of career opportunities you could get involved with:

Professional Sport: Performer/player, Fitness coach, Sports coach, exercise & sport scientists, performance data analysist, dietitian, Media & marketing consultant, website design, sport development officer, Sport commentator, Club physio/doctor, catering manager, assistant coach and youth team coach.

Health: Doctor, Physio, sports therapist, sports massage, nurse and working in other areas of the NHS.

Fitness: Gym manager, Personal trainer, yoga instructor, fitness instructor, professional fitness coach.

Teaching & Public Services: Primary school teacher, secondary school PE teacher, Sports Coach, Police officer, Fire fighter, Royal Marines, Army

Leisure: Swimming teacher, Duty Manager, Sports coach, lifeguarding, leisure centre management, outdoor activities instructor, children’s party co-coordinator

Labour Market Information – LMI

It is useful to look at the labour market when thinking about a career in Sport, Fitness, health and leisure. The links below provide good quality information about the LMI in the industry and this is only growing with a large emphasis being placed nationally on health and well-being

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zmfkrj6

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/school-college-liaison/resources/wim/ssehs/sportnew/

https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk

Learning Pathways

The are lots of different pathways into the vast range of careers in sport, fitness, health and leisure where the national governing bodies offer various coaching qualifications, Premier training offer various fitness instructing and personal training qualifications, but in addition to these examples where these would be more apprenticeship based there are also academic pathways as well. The different pathways are highlighted below:

Post-16 examples: A Level in Physical Education, Level 3 in Sport & physical activity, T level in Health, Level 3 Public Services.

Degree examples: Sports coaching, Sport & exercise science, Sport psychology, Sport rehabilitation, Sports management, Physiotherapy, Sports therapy.

Apprenticeship examples: Lifeguard, recreation assistant, personal trainer, fitness instructor, sports coach, events assistant, outdoor activity instructor, teaching assistant.

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