NEWS
News and views from the New Zealand fitness industry .
Working together for the good of the industry
A major education provider in NZ recently went into receivership , came out of it , and became part of an ownership dispute . The group that was most affected was the students , with some estimating over 1,000 people to be in various stages of enrolment or study . Rather than reiterate the issues related to the dispute , or make any judgement about it , I ’ d like to comment on how we , as an industry , responded .
By having a strong industry body , and robust registration body ( REPs NZ ), we were able both to help students affected by the incident , and to give confidence to those considering studying .
When the education provider went into receivership , REPs suspended its recognition . At the same time , as part of the ownership dispute , students were contacted by two different parties , both claiming legitimacy to continue delivering the course . This resulted in confusion for students , who were also uncertain whether their qualification would be recognised , and therefore enable them to work .
Soon after the suspension , REPs announced that it would offer all affected students free assessment against the REPs standards when they apply for registration with
REPs , as long as they complete a qualification in New Zealand within the next twelve months . This enabled the students to choose whatever provider they wanted , with no additional cost . This step was taken in recognition of the fact that students had made the decision to study with a provider that , at the time of starting their course , was recognised by REPs .
While this particular issue is far from over , and affected students may still face other challenges , at least their employability in the exercise industry has been protected via the assessment pathway from REPs – something that wouldn ’ t be possible without a wellsupported registration body .
This is just one example of why we need such a body and how , by working together for the good of the industry , we can all help each other grow .
Richard Beddie CEO , ExerciseNZ info @ exercisenz . org . nz
New Health & Safety checklist NZ exercise industry ’ s big weekend
With significant law changes earlier in 2016 , this continues to be an area that both exercise facilities and exercise professionals are looking for support in . Following on from its comprehensive guide for exercise facilities ( a Members-only resource ), and the exercise professionals guide released in October ( free to all REPs registered exercise professionals ), ExerciseNZ has now released a one-page health and safety checklist ( available for free at facebook . com / exercisenz ). The checklist identifies the key concept , minimum requirements , and industry-specific items needed to operate in New Zealand , as well as where to get help if needed .
The New Zealand exercise industry ’ s big weekend took place on 25 to 27 November . Featuring the FitEx Conference , together with the Exercise Industry Awards , collectively it hosted over 1,000 individuals from around New Zealand .
Full details of finalists and award winners can be found at exerciseindustryawards . co . nz and details of the FitEx conference at fitex . co . nz
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