CIMSPA and DWP collaborate to support jobseekers to build a great career in the sport and physical activity sector

The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) are collaborating with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help more people build a great career within the sport and physical activity sector.

Through this new collaboration, CIMSPA is creating resources and training on careers in the sector which will help Job Centre Work Coaches and DWP Employer Engagement Officers across the country to support job seekers to explore the wide range of roles available in sport and physical activity.

This will also strengthen the links between local DWP leads and CIMSPA’s local skills delivery team to further enhance skills development and work opportunities in each locality, supporting place-based initiatives that deliver on local priorities.

As well as this, CIMSPA will be working to support over 130 DWP School Advisers, who are working across over a thousand schools, with access to careers guidance on opportunities available to inspire young people to consider a career in the sport and physical activity sector.

As a sector, sport and physical activity employers close to 600,000 people, with high demand for people to fill vacant roles. For example, 22,000 unique job vacancies were posted across a two-month period in 2024.

Longer-term, CIMSPA will be working with DWP colleagues to make training opportunities available to DWP customers who want to start a career in the sport and physical activity sector.

Tara Dillon, CEO of CIMSPA said:

“We’re delighted to be working with DWP colleagues to help more people discover how they can find and build an amazing career in our sector.

The sport and physical activity sector has some huge benefits for someone looking for a fulfilling role that is flexible and offers great development opportunities. By building a career in our sector you really can change lives, helping people to be healthier and happier through being more active.

“We want to make more people aware that often the practitioners that have the most impact are the ones that reflect the communities that they work with. We know that often economic inactivity is linked to physical inactivity, and by helping people to improve their active wellbeing we can increase their confidence to undertake a more active life, including working or volunteering. The key to this is having a workforce that understands the challenges that people face and who can engage those that are inactive.

“Being a trainer, coaching and delivering physical activity is just one part of the sector. There are many more roles outside of that in areas such as customer service, marketing, IT, facilities management and many more which the sector is looking for people to fill.

“We really see this collaboration, and crucially our alignment on the importance of place-based working to support local people and communities, as integral to supporting more great people to become part of our talented, dedicated workforce.”