Community recreation qualifications cover activities of aquatics (swimming and pool-related activities).

Certificate III in Aquatics and Community Recreation trainees will work in aquatic facilities or environments, and recreation facilities. Trainees will be competent in a range of activities and functions requiring autonomous work within a defined range of situations and activities. This qualification provides a pathway to work as a swimming teacher, pool lifeguard, or recreation leader.

Fitness qualifications cover activities including health screening and health promotion, fitness programs, client health assessment, gym programs, group exercise sessions, water based fitness programs, exercise programs for children, adolescents and the elderly, personal training sessions and health promotion activities.

Certificate III level reflects the role of instructors who perform a range of activities and functions within the fitness industry. Depending on the specialisation chosen, this qualification provides a pathway to work as an instructor providing exercise instruction for group, aqua or gym programs. They work independently with level of autonomy in a controlled environment such as fitness, leisure, aquatic and community centres where risks are managed through pre-existing risk assessment and hazard control processes.

Individuals who specialise in aqua exercise instruction deliver water-based exercise sessions designed for participation by a group of clients. Sessions may be freestyle, pre-choreographed or circuit style. They also have the skills to rescue a client in distress, and an appropriate level of pool deck fitness and endurance.

Individuals who specialise in group exercise instruction deliver exercise sessions designed for participation by a group of clients with a mix of ages/fitness levels. Sessions may be freestyle, pre-choreographed or circuit style. These individuals instruct and demonstrate complete exercise sessions to groups with limited individual interaction.

Individuals who specialise in gym instruction exercise provide individually tailored client assessments, provide technique correction as needed and develop and demonstrate programs. They also provide supervision of a facility or service, keep equipment clean, tidy and well maintained and handle various customer injuries.

Certificate IV level reflects the role of personal trainers who have specialist skills to train individual clients, or groups of clients, or a one-on-one or group basis, to improve health-related components of fitness in relatively low risk situations. This may include training of older clients and children. They have a substantial depth of knowledge to plan, conduct and evaluate exercise training, provide leadership and guidance to clients and other staff, and deal with unpredictable situations applying defined guidelines and procedures from the fitness industry and the organisation.

They work independently or with limited guidance from others and use discretion to solve non-routine problems, including monitoring and managing business activities to operate efficiently and profitably.

This qualification provides a pathway to work in a diversity of fitness businesses including fitness centres, gyms, aquatic facilities, community facilities and open spaces where risk management (through risk assessment and hazard control processes) do not already exist.

Outdoor recreation and outdoor leadership qualifications cover activities including abseiling, archery, bushwalking, canoeing, caving, cycling, equestrian, fishing, mountain biking, rafting, scuba, skiing, surfing, trail bike riding and yachting.

Certificate II level trainees will learn to perform core activities in outdoor recreation environments and to assist with the conduct of a range of outdoor activities. They will learn to use a wide variety of equipment in work locations such as such as water-based, dry land and mountainous terrains.

Certificate III level trainees will become competent in guiding outdoor recreation activities through learning to apply outdoor recreation technical expertise to guiding individuals on how to participate safely in the outdoor activity.

They will learn to work autonomously or in a team under supervision on or off site. In a variety of controlled environments such as camps, recreation centres or facilities or fields on various public lands, they will further their abilities to use different types of equipment.

Certificate IV level trainees will gain the technical skills and knowledge to work as outdoor recreation guides in uncontrolled environments or as instructors teaching clients in how to independently undertake outdoor activities. They would usually have prior outdoor recreation industry experience.

For both roles, trainees will develop leadership, guidance and supervision skills to enable them to autonomously manage routine and unexpected situations. They will also learn to use a wide range of equipment in different work environments including water, dry land and mountainous areas.

Sport qualifications cover activities including football, athletics, sports administration, basketball, cricket, coaching, golf, gymnastics, martial arts, netball, rugby league and union, soccer, squash, lifesaving, swimming, bowling, tennis and volleyball.

Certificate III level trainees in Sport Athlete will be working towards a career as a professional athlete at a regional, state or territory level which may enable match-payments, prize money, grants or endorsements to form the primary source of their income. Trainees will learn to:

• train for events
• assess competitors and conditions at venues
• consult with coaches about appropriate strategies
• compete professionally
• undertake promotional duties.

Certificate III level trainees in Sport Coaching will gain skills to become a career coach at a regional or state or territory level. Trainees will learn to:

• observe the performance of athletes to determine the required level of instruction
• plan, conduct and evaluate individualised and team based training programs
• supervise practice sessions and provide in competition assistance to athletes.

Certificate IV level trainees in Sport Coaching will gain further skills towards becoming a career coach at a regional, state or territory level. Trainees will learn to:

• observe the performance of athletes to determine the required level of instruction
• plan, conduct and evaluate individualised and team training programs
• supervise practice sessions
• provide in competition assistance to athletes through supporting their psychological preparation and conducting post competition analysis of both performance and strategy.

Certificate IV level trainees in Sport Development will gain the skills and knowledge for a career in sports development. Job roles may include competition coordinator, program coordinator, sports development officer and talent development coordinator. Trainees will learn to:

• liaise with stakeholder groups to increase the profile of sport
• implement and administer junior sports programs or clinics within clubs and schools
• train coaches and teachers
• recruit young people, parents and volunteers to sports
• schedule competitions.

Sport and recreation qualifications provide skills in the provision of sport and recreation programs, grounds and facilities maintenance, operation of sporting centres and grounds and the operation of community recreation centres.

Certificate II level trainees will develop basic functional knowledge and skills for working in customer contact positions in the sport or community recreation industry, and be competent in a range of administrative activities and functions within a team and under supervision. Trainees will be in mainly routine and repetitive tasks using practical skills and basic sport and recreation industry knowledge. They may be employed in sport and recreation centres or facilities, and leisure and aquatic centres assisting with the conduct of recreation activities, and facility maintenance and operations.

Certificate III level trainees will be multi-skilled in operational and customer support positions in the sport or community recreation industry. Trainees will be competent in a range of activities and functions requiring autonomous work within a defined range of situations and environments. Trainees may work in locations such as fitness centres, sporting grounds or complexes, leisure and aquatic centres and community recreation centres.

Certificate IV level trainees will be working in the sport and recreation industry in an administrative or organisational capacity and they will be able to plan, conduct and evaluate activities of others, deal with unpredictable and non-routine situations and provide leadership and guidance to staff. Trainees will be able to work in a diversity of sport and recreation locations such as fitness centres, sporting grounds or complexes, leisure and aquatic centres and community recreation centres or sporting organisations and associations.