STA and GLL boost swim teacher training

GLL and the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) have joined together in a new three-year partnership that will see the charitable   social enterprise, which is the UK’s largest operator of swimming pools, transform the way it delivers swimming teaching qualifications nationally. The programme has been designed to enhance training opportunities and provide a progressive new aquatics career pathway for GLL’s 1450 swimming teachers. 

Nationally, the UK has seen a shortage in qualified swimming teachers and 30 per cent of 10 year olds leaving primary school are unable to swim. The new partnership will see STA’s Level 2 swimming teaching qualifications embedded into GLL’s 141 swimming pools nationwide. The programme will be rolled out from January 2018.

Dave Candler, STA’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with GLL and excited to be supporting a programme that is set to positively change how they deliver swimming teacher qualifications.  GLL have set the bar high, and we are very keen to support their ambition using our 80 years plus expertise of training great swimming teachers and tutors.”

Andrew Clark, GLL’s National Sport & Aquatics Manager said: “We have evolved the learn to swim sector enormously in the past 10 years with over 200,000 pupils each week and this partnership will allow us to revolutionise the way its workforce is trained. By creating our own national training framework that is powered by STA’s swimming teaching qualifications, we will be able to open up new career pathways and grow a quality workforce that is work ready; thus ensuring staffing demands are met. As a social enterprise that works in local communities, the move also supports our ambition of providing affordable, accessible and exemplar training and employment opportunities for local people.”