P.E. Apprenticeships
What are the best apprenticeships for fitness & sport enthusiasts?
Do you enjoy exercise? Can’t wait for sports day? Have a competitive spirit?
A sports or fitness apprenticeship might get your blood pumping.

Why P.E. is useful for apprenticeships
If P.E. is your favourite subject at school, you may not be academically minded or prefer to move your body than sit at a desk. Don’t worry, plenty of careers are open to strong, fit, and healthy people who can channel their energy to compete.
Sports and fitness-based apprenticeships enable successful candidates to turn their appreciation for sports and exercise into a satisfying career.
Whether you want to play a sport, write about them or facilitate athletes through coaching or medical care and science, an apprenticeship can give you a headstart on your competitors.
Transferable skills
Being competitive is a must in any professional sport and can also give you an advantage in a business environment. The urge to be the best at whatever you do can take you far if you have the discipline to back it up.
Sports require dedication and consistency to keep improving and achieve new successes, likewise, most careers. Competitive athletes also need focus. You must be able to block out distractions and concentrate on the task at hand.
Maintaining a high level of overall health and well-being benefits every part of your life. They say ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ and knowing that you are unlikely to get ill often is a plus for future employers. There are also jobs, such as in the British Armed Forces and emergency services, where a minimum level of fitness is required.
Intermediate roles
The first level of UK apprenticeships is called an intermediate or Level 2 apprenticeship. It is an entry-level course to help school leavers or those wanting to change careers to take their first steps. Apprenticeships are an alternative to higher education, such as college courses and university degrees.
Entry Requirements
To be eligible to apply for a UK apprenticeship in any subject :
- You must be 16 or older
- You must not be in full-time education
- You must have the right to live and work in the UK
Apprenticeships are provided by universities and businesses, with national standards that must be met. Each provider will have specific criteria for eligibility, depending on the company’s needs and the requirements of the role.
P.E.-based apprenticeships are not as concerned with academic performance as some other apprenticeships, such as law or finance.
Instead, it is your strong body, positive attitude and excellent work ethic that the providers are looking for.
You may still need some GCSEs in core subjects such as English to ensure proper communication. For medical and science-based sports apprenticeships, you will need a GCSE in one of the sciences.
Some apprenticeship providers will facilitate candidates completing outstanding qualifications during the first part of the programme. It never hurts to ask.
Qualifications gained
At the end of a Level 2 apprenticeship, you will have earned the equivalent of 5 good GCSE passes.
Level 2 P.E. apprenticeships include:
- Level 2 Sports Turf Operative Apprenticeship – Berkshire College of Agriculture
- Level 2 Certificate on Exercise and Fitness – MPCT
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Advanced/Higher/Degree targeted at A-Level
Following on from intermediate UK apprenticeships, the system works like this:
- Level 3 apprenticeships = advanced apprenticeships.
- Levels 4 and 5 = Higher apprenticeships
- Levels 6 and 7 = degree apprenticeships
Each level offers a higher qualification and either a deeper knowledge or the ability to specialise.
Entry Requirements
To qualify for an advanced P.E. apprenticeship, you may need good GCSE passes in sports/fitness. English language and potentially maths and science, depending on the subject of your course.
Higher and degree sports and fitness apprenticeships, typically require A-level passes in sports and one of the other core subjects mentioned above.
Qualifications gained
Each level of apprenticeship earns you a qualification, as follows:
- Advanced apprenticeship = 2 A-Level passes.
- Higher apprenticeship = a foundation degree
- Degree apprenticeship = a full Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, depending on your level of study.
Advanced, higher and degree sports and fitness apprenticeships include:
- Personal Trainer – Level 3 – various providers
- Sports Coach – Level 4 – various providers
Industry Focus
A sports apprenticeship probably isn’t going to make you an olympian or a Premier League footballer.
However, there are many roles for competitive athletes in semi-professional and amateur leagues, in everything from wrestling and MMA to football and street dancing.
With a Sporting Excellence Professional apprenticeship, you can build a reputation and increase your success by competing at the highest level open to you while learning the skills to take you further.
The sports industry overlaps with other sectors, including leisure and tourism and science.
Here are a few career avenues you could follow.
You don’t have to become a P.E. teacher to use your knowledge and spread the joy of a healthy body, although it is an appealing option for some school leavers.
You could also work towards becoming a coach or a personal trainer.
Coaching apprenticeships teach the principles of coaching sport, from how to plan a session to effective methods of motivation. You could specialise in one sport or activity, such as football, swimming or surfing or coach general health and fitness.
Coaches may work for an institution, such as a school, college or university, in a leisure centre or may be hired by local authorities to run specific events. For example, a community activator coach leads activities for a group of young people around the community.
Personal trainers could be gym-based or freelance, finding and working with clients.
The FA, The MPCT Fitness Academy and FIT UK Training and Education Ltd (FIT UK) offer apprenticeships in coaching and training.
If you are more interested in the science of sports and fitness, multiple apprenticeships might be a good fit.
Sports scientists sometimes work closely with athletes but may also work in labs, healthcare institutions or training centres. They analyse diet, exercise, training schedules and more to find areas for improvement. They may also study how diet and exercise can prevent or increase the chances of developing conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Physios, rehabilitation assistants and medical officers may be hired by a sports team or work in a clinic or hospital. They use their knowledge of anatomy, health and fitness to help people recover from injuries and stay in peak physical condition.
The University of Essex is one of many institutions offering Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences apprenticeships at level 3 to degree level.
The NHS offers a wide range of apprenticeships, while many professional sports clubs run physio training programmes.
Several apprenticeships also cater to the development of sports as a business, looking at increasing participation in sports and physical activities across the UK.
Jobs range from community liaison officers to programme leaders and project managers. You will support local sports jobs, look for opportunities to introduce more and more diverse physical activity, and increase participation through PR initiatives.
Organisations like Sport Structures offer sports marketing and business administration apprenticeships alongside coaching and teaching opportunities. You can also study sports business with Premier League football clubs such as Manchester City FC.
Other Opportunities
There are many other careers where a sound knowledge of health and a high level of fitness are an advantage, including:
- P.E Teacher
- Member of the Armed Forces
- Able seafarer
- Community sport and health officer
- Countryside worker
- Golf greenkeeper
- Outdoor activity instructor
- Sports journalist
- Leisure duty manager
- Firefighter
- Sports turf operative
Conclusion
Sport and fitness are a huge part of our daily lives, impacting everything from general health and well-being to entertainment.
These sports apprenticeships are just a few of the ways you could get involved in the sports sector and build a strong career.
If you want to know more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. In the meantime, you can search sports apprenticeships near you with our handy subject and location filters.
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