Making a Splash: Lifeguard Apprentices Dive into Training

School's out and the summer sun is shining so what better way to beat the soaring temperatures than by taking a refreshing dip in your local pool? 

Swimming is such brilliant exercise and it's a leisure pursuit that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels. It's great fun as long as it's done safely.  

To make sure everyone stays safe in the water, swimming pool operators must follow general health and safety legislation as set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. 

This includes employing lifeguards who are fully trained in life saving techniques and who know exactly what to do in an emergency. Pool lifeguards play a vitally important preventative role too. They check, for example, that children aren't in the water without an adult to supervise them and that the pool area is kept clean and free of potential hazards. 

Apprentice training for pool lifeguards  

Lifeguard skills are currently covered by the Level 2 Leisure Team Member apprenticeship so there's a lot more to the standard than poolside responsibilities. As well as lifeguard and swimming teaching duties, gym instruction and leading group activities are all covered by the role.  

Last updated in November 2023, this programme is currently being revised/adjusted following IfATE's replacement by, Skills England, but the current version is still approved for delivery.  

The course takes 18 months to complete, not including EPA, and qualifies for funding up to a maximum of £5,000. 

Currently 18 training providers offer this course, including several organisations specialising in sports and physical activity, FE colleges and a local authority. 

Everyone Active, Swim England, Erewash Borough Council and the Swimming Teachers Association are among the employers who helped create the standard.  

The skills the apprentice will learn 

With regard to the pool lifeguard duty's part, apprentices will learn how to:   

• Work as part of a team to provide safe supervision of swimmers and prevent accidents. 
• Know how to intervene if someone needs rescuing and, where necessary, use life saving techniques. 
• Give swimming lessons to non-swimmers right through to advance swimmers, building people's confidence in the water and helping them develop core aquatic and safety skills.  
• Promote and raise awareness of swimming opportunities. 
• Supervise and lead swimming teachers' assistants.  

In terms of more general knowledge needed when employed in a sports and leisure setting, the apprentice will learn:  

• How the business is structured, its vision, values, missions and goals. 
• How their own area of work and that of their colleagues contributes to achieving business targets. 
• What products and services are offered by the leisure facility, and how to match them to different types of customers' needs. 
• How to assemble, dismantle and store different types of equipment both simple and complex ranging from badminton nets to trampolines and powered equipment. 
• The key legal and regulatory requirements within the leisure industry. e.g. Health and Safety, Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Safeguarding and Protecting Children. 

Wider behaviours covered by this programme include:  

• Carrying out activities and organising own work in a professional manner, e.g. time keeping, attendance, personal appearance. 
• Being mindful and respectful of own safety and that of others and always putting safety first. 
• Being friendly and outgoing; talking, empathising and interacting with others. 
• Showing pride in the role by being consistently positive and professional with an ongoing commitment to self-development. 
• Demonstrating problem solving skills and using own initiative. 
• Having a positive outlook and responding in a prompt, positive and helpful manner to enquiries, complaints and compliments. 

As the list shows, there are so many aspects to this occupation. It offers plenty of variety for people who love sport, don't mind working some evenings and weekends, are outgoing and are keen to help others of all ages and abilities become more physically active. And it's a career with professional registration, with leisure team members eligible to become a Recreation Assistant Practitioner Member of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) on completing their apprenticeship. 

How Onefile can help  

Sporty people, by their very nature tend to live their lives on the go. When they're not working or studying, they're often playing sports, training for a sports event or coaching a sports activity, so using learning tools which help them manage their busy schedules are a huge timesaver.  

To find out how Onefile's many features help, click here!