Professional Registration Matters

At Fitness Australia, we encourage people that interact with us to provide us with comments and feedback because it helps us to learn more about the industry and improve our service. Over the last 6 months, we have been conducting regular 'Net Promoter Score' (NPS) surveys of our customers, mostly fitness professionals, and asking for comments. Just last month we received some constructive comments (both positive and negative) about professional registration. So this has prompted me to write this article, include some survey comments and to provide responses.

1.    Does Professional Registration Matter?

Below are four different comments about registration. Two people believe that it represents professional standing. Two others question its existence or relevance.
[All survey comments are in italics and blue font.]

"Trainers should already be registered with Fitness Australia, and if they are working without being registered I don't believe they should be encouraged to continue in the industry as they are not being professional."

"I believe a national regulating body such as Fitness Australia plays an essential role in ensuring that the standard of fitness professionals remains high. I appreciate being able to access ongoing support as I continue to study & learn as much as possible."

“Instructors also questioning why we insist on their being Fitness Australia accredited.”

 “The only reason I have it is because employers want you to have it."

My response:

Professional registration does matter because it represents an industry standard that is recognised both nationally and internationally. It is public recognition of each individual practising professional’s credentials and currency of skill, knowledge and competence. Information about registered exercise professionals is available to the general public via the website www.startexercising.com.au.

If you have acquired the minimum national standard qualification in fitness [or above] and have completed First Aid and CPR certifications, you are eligible to register as an exercise professional. To maintain registration, you need to complete a specified level of continuing education over the two year registration period and maintain current First Aid and CPR certifications.

Most health professionals are required to maintain professional registration. Can you imagine a nurse or a physiotherapist who did not wish to demonstrate to their patients that they have the appropriate credentials to practise? Why should an exercise professional be any different?

Anyone who has gone to the trouble of gaining an education and taking up a role in the fitness industry should be proud of their achievement and should be pleased to publicly display their registration status to their clients. Why wouldn’t you?

In the absence of government regulations that compel industry professionals to register, Fitness Australia is the recognised authority. Does the fitness industry really want to be populated by unregistered people? What message would that send to government, health professionals and consumers about the fitness industry?

2.    Why do quality employers insist on engaging registered professionals?

Quality fitness businesses are committed to industry standards and providing high quality service to clients and members. This includes standards of professionalism and safety. Imagine if an employer hired a person who was unqualified or someone who had the basic qualifications but had not maintained their knowledge and skill over time? In this scenario, the risk of providing a poor and unsafe service to clients increases. Professional registration immediately provides the employer with confidence in the employee’s credentials to practise and this can be independently verified by the employer.

3.    What is the value of professional registration?

“Being associated with an Industry Body is perceived by customers as an industry endorsement and a relation to quality so therefore our Fitness Australia fees are justified.”

"We pay a lot for registration with Fitness Australia and get very little in return.”

My response:

Fitness Australia administers the National Register of Exercise Professionals. Over a two year registration period, the fee is $220 (including GST). That’s $110 per annum, or $2.12 per week. As part of our commitment to supporting exercise professionals we also provide services that are akin to a membership of a professional body at no extra cost.

Compare this with a registered physiotherapist. Registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) costs $199 per annum. If the physiotherapist also joins their professional association, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), the fee is $744 per annum. That’s a total of $943 per annum to maintain registration and professional membership as a practising physiotherapist. Over a two year period, to compare directly with Fitness Australia, the equivalent cost is $1,886.

Fitness Australia endeavours to ensure that the registration fees remain at a low level so that registration is affordable for all fitness professionals and so that we can maximise engagement with the fitness industry. This, in turn, provides assurance to government and consumers that the majority of practising professionals in Australia are registered and therefore, that standards of professionalism and client care exist.

4.    What about the general public?

I would like to hit both ends of the scale above: people run business without it. I have never got a client for having the Fitness Australia membership. The general public don't know who they are or what they do. I have never even been asked what my qualifications are. There is a gym in my home town its huge and only one trainer there is actually qualified. I want to support my industry but it’s hard sometimes when I have different points of view! Thanks for asking :)"

My response:

In my experience, the general public will ASSUME that professional standards exist within the fitness industry and that a professional who is delivering services to them is appropriately qualified, skilled and competent. In other words, the majority won’t ask about this because they will assume that a standard exists. In addition, consumers are generally familiar with the concept of registration for a range of trades and professions and would generally assume that an exercise professional also holds some form of official registration.

Whilst the consumer may assume that professional registration exists, it is unlikely that they will be aware of the details of the actual registration body. Going back to the physiotherapist example, most consumers would assume that the physiotherapist is registered and therefore, has the requisite credentials to practise. However, the average consumer is unlikely to be aware of or know very much about the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency. Consumers generally become more aware of registration and regulatory agencies when they need to file a complaint.

I agree that ‘accreditation’ systems should be as visible as possible to maximise their effectiveness. The best and most cost effective form of promotion is client awareness and this is most readily be influenced by the people that hold the registration.

If every one of the 26,000 registered exercise professionals displayed their registration credentials to their clients in some way, the level of public awareness about registration would increase dramatically.

At the same time, Fitness Australia is constantly profiling and promoting registered exercise professionals in the media and within our advocacy initiatives and programs.

From a personal perspective, I cannot see a down-side to professional registration. It provides recognition, credibility, learning opportunities, community and portability at a very affordable rate. I’m a registered exercise professional and proud of it.