Beware of 'Pseudo-Registration' schemes in the fitness industry

In recent times there have been some people that have decided to set up a ‘pseudo-registration’ scheme for fitness professionals or launch an uncalled for attack on the official professional registration system that exists in Australia.

But beware of people bearing false gifts. They are deceptive. It is evident that they do not make these offers in the best interests of the fitness professionals but merely for private commercial gain.

These ‘pseudo-registration’ schemes make some big promises, such as providing ‘recognition’ for fitness professionals. My question is, recognition from whom or what? This is an empty and meaningless promise, designed to deceive people who may not fully understand the difference between a ‘pseudo-scheme’ and a legitimate scheme. This is tantamount to treating professional registration like a commodity. And all for private commercial gain. Whilst it's perfectly reasonable for anyone to provide services and benefits to fitness professionals or anyone else in the fitness industry, it is not right to position this service as a registration or professional recognition scheme.

In my opinion, this is disgraceful and deceptive behaviour that only serves to fragment and confuse people within the fitness industry. All this at a time when the industry should be striving to work collectively to achieve more and cement its place in the public and preventive health landscape. A fragmented industry will struggle to succeed. A united industry will move forward in the right direction.


The Australian Register of Exercise Professionals for qualified fitness professionals was established many years ago as a collaborative effort between education providers, Fitness Australia and industry employers/operators as an industry self-regulatory mechanism. It provides a system of self-regulation for exercise professionals to ensure that they are suitably credentialed to practice, meet fitness industry standards and are committed to continuing education to enhance their skills and knowledge.

In a profession that is not regulated by government, this self-regulatory mechanism is vitally important for the ongoing good reputation and credibility of the fitness industry and profession, particularly as the industry strives to connect more broadly with the health sector.

This official scheme is administered by Fitness Australia, the official peak body and association for the fitness industry in Australia. Fitness Australia is a not-for-profit entity that is owned and governed by the industry, whereby all funds are reinvested in the development and support of the fitness sector.

The Registration Scheme has a number of objectives, including to:

·         help keep the public safe by ensuring that only fitness professionals who are suitably trained and qualified to practise in a competent and ethical manner are registered;

·         facilitate workforce mobility for fitness professionals;

·         facilitate provision of high quality education and training for fitness professionals;

·         facilitate the assessment of overseas qualified fitness professionals;

·         facilitate access to services provided by fitness professionals, and

·         enable the continuous development of a flexible Australian industry workforce.

These objectives are recognised and shared by the Registration Boards of other professions, including health practitioners. The Register of Exercise Professionals, administered by Fitness Australia, is officially recognised by all three levels of government, regulatory authorities, peak health and sporting groups, the fitness industry, education providers, private health organisations and the public. It is also recognised by the International Confederation of Registers of Exercise Professionals (iCREPS), which has nine members around the world.

In other words, legitimate Professional Registration Schemes are not run by private sector companies, but by the official governing or peak body.

I call on all people in the fitness industry who want professionals to meet certain standards, gain legitimate recognition and build skill and credibility to repudiate those who seek to deceive and disrupt it by offering these types of ‘pseudo-registration’ schemes in Australia.

Let’s all throw our support behind the official Australian Register of Exercise Professionals administered by the peak body, Fitness Australia. For the benefit of the whole industry.

Go to Fitness Australia (for official professional registration)

On the #FITnotFBT Campaign Trail

http://www.fitnotfbt.org.au/

The Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Campaign for the fitness industry is now in full swing and gathering momentum. Our overriding aim is to create a level playing field for small businesses by enabling them to take advantage of the same FBT exemption on fitness services that large businesses can benefit from.

Good progress has been made towards this goal, including:

• Development of a substantial policy proposal, with Deloitte modelling, to make a clear case for a policy shift on FBT.
• Submission of a proposal to the Federal Government Tax White Paper consultation process.
• Productive meetings with key Ministers and other influencers and favourable indications that Fitness Australia's proposals have registered with Government and will be given serious consideration.
• Gained support from key employer & employee bodies - ACCI, COSBOA, ACTU.
• The issue and campaign has been put on key decision makers' radar through a detailed article outlining the case, published in the Australian Financial Review and a range of follow-up media.

In recent weeks I've attended meetings, as have other industry campaign supporters, with key people:

• Pre-budget event with the Prime Minister, the Hon Tony Abbott MP
• South Australian Federal Ministers Budget lunch in Adelaide, the Hon Joe Hockey MP, Senator Birmingham, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP and the Hon Jamie Briggs MP.
• Meeting with the Hon John Alexander MP, Member for Bennelong. Accompanied by Tony Dempsey, Head of Legal Counsel for Fitness First.
• Greg Oliver of Goodlife Health Clubs (and former Fitness Australia Board member) has also started to meet with local MP’s in Brisbane to discuss the campaign.
• The Bradfield Dinner in Parliament House on Budget night, hosted by the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Member for Bradfield.
• Two post-Budget events with Treasurer, Joe Hockey and Assistant Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg.
• A presentation by the Tax Commissioner, Chris Jordan AO.

All of these meetings have served to raise awareness of the FBT campaign and Fitness Australia amongst key political leaders.

We continue to have a range of opportunities to gain further traction and influence, including:

• Lobbying to have the FBT issue included in the Tax Green Paper later this year.
• Build on our support base to show the FBT proposal as an easy win for inclusion in the 2016 Federal Budget.
• Mobilise our support base, including the Opposition, to support a Bill through the Senate.
• In the lead up to the next election, firm up support among all parties to ensure that commitment is maintained.

Whilst this progress has been made it is vitally important that we maintain and build on the momentum. 

In the coming months, Fitness Australia will continue to lobby for this reform, but we need the support of the fitness industry to be successful. You can help by pledging support for the #FITnotFBT campaign and using the campaign resources to raise awareness of the issue with your local Federal Member of Parliament.

We'll be rolling out some local lobbying efforts with leading industry businesses and working to raise more awareness of the campaign amongst the small business sector.