TRAIN TO EMPLOY

The lack of qualified swimming teachers is among the aquatics industry’s most pressing issues. But inroads into tackling the shortage are being made, with the Institute of Swimming’s Recruitment Academy among the programmes that are making a real difference

The national swimming teacher shortage has long been a hurdle for the leisure sector. In 2023 around 15% of all swimming teacher roles (*12,000) across the UK were vacant.

While the traditional route of self-funded training remains the primary way to qualify, the Institute of Swimming’s (IoS) Recruitment Academy offers an alternative ‘train-to-employ’ model for operators struggling to recruit enough teachers to cope with the demand for lessons.

Piloted in 2019 and fully launched in 2021, the IoS programme has run 187 Academies across 65 different leisure partners, training around 1,000 new swimming teachers, successfully challenging the financial and cultural barriers that can keep talented individuals away from the sector by offering a safe option to career switching. In fact, a swimming teacher trained through the IoS Recruitment Academy is two and half times more likely to be over the age of 25 and looking for a career change.

CASTING A WIDER NET IN DEEPER WATERS

Rebecca Cox, Swim England’s interim Chief Executive and Institute of Swimming Managing Director, says: “We’ve looked outwards, engaging with people beyond our own aquatics’ peripheral view. We can’t just connect with people who love to swim; it’s not where the solution lies. We need to reach people who wouldn’t even think it’s a plausible career for them, dispelling myths like ‘you need to be an expert athlete’, as well as cultural myths and stigmas.

“We want our teachers to truly represent the people they live and work alongside. This approach has been a clear success, as swimming teachers trained through our academies are twice as likely to be culturally representative of the areas where they teach.”

We need to reach people who wouldn’t even think it’s a plausible career for them, dispelling myths like ‘you need to be an expert athlete’, as well as cultural myths and stigmas

The IoS’s Recruitment Academy is a one-stop-shop for employers to source and recruit swimming teachers of the future. The Institute of Swimming manages the search and recruitment of trainees, supporting them through their training on behalf of employers to ensure leisure operators receive teachers who are pool-side ready and trained to the highest level. The trainee teachers work with their future employers to gain practical experience and valuable advice from mentors.

The reward of my new career is fantastic. It’s pure joy. I love it. There is no negative in teaching and giving something back to the community

Trainee swimming teachers receive fully-funded training from their future employer. The only cost to the learner is an administration fee. In addition to their SEQ Level 2 in Teaching Swimming qualification, they receive Institute of Swimming membership, which includes insurance and eLearning opportunities to hone their skills.

CHANGING LANES

Hannah Smith, National Aquatic Business Manager for Freedom Leisure said: “The IoS Recruitment Academy has been invaluable for our organisation, enabling us to successfully recruit new teachers in areas where we previously struggled. One of the biggest advantages is the ability for us to offer fully funded training, allowing us to attract the right individuals into teaching. The structure of the academy is particularly effective, as trainee teachers have the opportunity to spend time on site, meet the team and support sessions as a volunteer assistant. We’ve gained some fantastic teachers through the process, which was straightforward and well-managed from start to finish.”

Deanne, 55, who became a swimming teacher at South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre through a Freedom Leisure funded Recruitment Academy says: “Becoming a swimming teacher was a complete career change for me, having spent four decades working in retail and hospitality. It was now or never, but without the funding I wouldn’t have been able to afford to retrain. It was a big thing to go back to the classroom at my age, and I was both excited and nervous. However, the reward of my new career is fantastic. It’s pure joy. I love it. There is no negative in teaching and giving something back to the community.” l Interested in launching a Recruitment Academy? You can find out more here: [https://instituteofswimming.org/academy](https://instituteofswimming.org/academy)