Leisure centre assistant
Leisure centre assistants set up and supervise activities like fitness and exercise classes, gym sessions and swimming lessons.
Also known as: Recreation assistant, leisure attendant
- Starter salary£19,000 a year
- Experienced£27,000 a year
- Typical hours30 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a leisure centre assistant, you'll:
- set up, dismantle and maintain equipment
- supervise activity sessions
- manage records on a membership and booking system
- deal with customer enquiries and pass on feedback to managers
- promote events and classes at centres and through social media
- show people how to use sports equipment safely
- respond to emergencies and give first aid if required
- keep areas and facilities clean and tidy
Working environment
You could work at a fitness centre or at a gym.
Your working environment may be physically active.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- the ability to work well with others
- sensitivity and understanding
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to sell products and services
- administration skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a leisure centre assistant
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
College
You could take a college course, which may help when looking for work.
Courses include:
- sport and fitness
- leisure operations
- active leisure and learning
Other sporting qualifications, for example in fitness, swimming and coaching, will also be acceptable to employers.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Leisure Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
As well as learning how to support the daily operations of a leisure centre, you'll also cover areas like:
- lifeguarding duties
- swimming teaching
- gym instruction
- leading group activities
This apprenticeship can take up to 2 years to complete.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Volunteering
You could improve your chances of employment by getting practical experience in a leisure centre, either through seasonal work or by volunteering.
Direct application
You can apply directly for jobs. You'll find it useful when looking for work if you've got customer service experience and an interest in sport, exercise and fitness.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a leisure team supervisor or manager. You could also move into fitness instruction, lifeguarding, swimming teaching or sports coaching by taking the appropriate qualifications.
Career tips
Some employers may prefer you to have a qualification in first aid, gym instruction or lifeguarding.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) for professional development and learning opportunities.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleLeisure centre manager
- Job roleFitness instructor
- Job roleLifeguard
- Job rolePersonal trainer
- Job rolePE teacher
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0