European Register of Exercise Professionals

There are a number of different occupations in the fitness industry and EREPS exists to recognise personal achievement by exercise professionals through the awarding of what is called 'status of registration'. Entry to EREPS is by qualification, although we can also recognise other achievements and industry experience. Qualifications in fitness are defined by three �components� or �parts� which are the skills, knowledge and competencies for each different occupation. The components of a qualification are the standards which are developed by the European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA), click here for more information.

EHFA has a standards council comprised of industry experts, employers and practitioners from across Europe who meet to determine what skills, knowledge and competencies are required for exercise professionals to practise safely, effectively and legally. The standards which are developed are used by training providers who are independently verified to check that they are delivering the training, examination and assessment correctly and professionally. To see a list of all EHFA approved training providers click here.

The standards that are agreed by EHFA are based upon the European Qualification Framework (EQF) which is a common European reference framework which links countries' qualifications systems together, acting as a translation device to make qualifications more readable.

EREPS occupations and the status of registration awarded to members are based on standards for:

EQF level 3	Fitness Instructor
	Group Fitness Instructor
	Aqua Fitness Instructor
EQF level 4	Personal Trainer

The EQF encompasses general and adult education, vocational education and training, as well as higher education. It applies to all types of qualifications from those achieved at the end of compulsory education to those awarded at the highest level of academic and professional or vocational education and training.

The core of the EQF is its eight reference levels describing what a learner knows, understands and is able to do - their 'learning outcomes' - regardless of where a particular qualification was acquired. The EQF reference levels have moved the focus away from the more traditional approach, which emphasises learning inputs (length of a learning experience, type of institution) to learning outcomes (the skills, knowledge and competencies). Learning outcomes are what a learner knows, understands and is able to do after a course of learning, and this is how EREPS recognises achievement and awards status of registration.

For each of the occupations in fitness recognised by EREPS (above) there are descriptions of what the jobs are, together with the EQF learning outcomes. For more information on the occupational descriptors are on the EREPS website. The EHFA Standards Council are developing standards for fitness occupations at levels 2 and 5 in addition to the existing EQF levels 3 and 4.

Descriptors defining levels in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)

Levels of the EQF	Knowledge	Skills	Competence
The learning outcomes relevant to Level 2 are	basic factual knowledge of a field of work or study	basic cognitive and practical skills required to use relevant information in order to carry out tasks and to solve routine problems using simple rules and tools	work or study under supervision with some autonomy
The learning outcomes relevant to Level 3 are	knowledge of facts, principles, processes and general concepts, in a field of work or study	a range of cognitive and practical skills required to accomplish tasks and solve problems by selecting and applying basic methods, tools, materials and information	take responsibility for completion of tasks in work or study adapt own behaviour to circumstances in solving problems
The learning outcomes relevant to Level 4 are	factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work or study	a range of cognitive and practical skills required to generate solutions to specific problems in a field of work or study	exercise self-management within the guidelines of work or study contexts that are usually predictable, but are subject to change supervise the routine work of others, taking some responsibility for the evaluation and improvement of work or study activities
The learning outcomes relevant to Level 5 are	comprehensive, specialised, factual and theoretical knowledge within a field of work or study and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge	a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical skills required to develop creative solutions to abstract problems	exercise management and supervision in contexts of work or study activities where there is unpredictable change review and develop performance of self and others

Please note that there are also descriptors for level 1 and 6-8 inclusive for the EQF, but are not currently used in fitness.