Learning & Development

When you work at Virgin Active we want you to be able to learn and grow.

You can improve your skills or develop new ones whatever your role.

We offer an end-to-end learning and development offering, encompassing compulsory and Health & Safety related training, such us inductions, first aid and lifeguarding; exercise experience training, like Personal Training and Group Exercise; management development training; and other bespoke training needs.

Our intent is to offer a holistic training curriculum enhancing and supporting the multitude of career pathways Virgin Active offers, in a blended way across online and face-to-face platforms – leading to the best experts in the industry who never want to leave us, because there is always a new opportunity for learning and growth.

The Academy

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A personal training qualification is just the first step. Learning and development in the Virgin Active Academy is working towards being the gold standard in exercise experience training. From new starters to master trainers, we believe the learning should never stop! 

This learning currently covers the following key areas:

  • The Exercise Experience
  • Sales for PT
  • Business acumen
  • Putting skills into practice, including member assessment, training technique and programming

Apprenticeships

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We are committed to providing apprenticeship opportunities leading to permanent employment. We have a team of full time Apprenticeship Tutors to support and guide our apprentices. Our apprenticeships are a combination of on-the-job, classroom and study based, paid learning opportunities. 

We currently offer a Leisure Team Member Apprenticeship programme. These Apprentices gain industry recognised qualifications in Lifeguarding, Swimming Instruction and Fitness Instruction.

For those further along in their careers, we have an internal Management Development programme, called Evolve. It has been created for our front line managers, to help them develop key leadership skills as they embark on their first management role. Additionally, they graduate from the programme with an internationally recognised qualification from the ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management).

Career pathways

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There are so many career paths open to you at Virgin Active. So many Virgin Active staff have experienced such varied opportunities of growth and advancement, carving out great careers, owing to their hard work and ability to dream big!