Places Leisure and Lifetime have a long-standing, successful partnership. It's one that dates all the way back to 2003, and in that time, we’ve achieved some huge milestones. From transitioning to the levy, to switching from frameworks to standards, we’ve always worked in close collaboration to stay one step ahead in redefining its apprenticeship strategy – and use it to create the most impact.
Driving performance at 63% of Places Leisure's sites
Apprenticeships are at the heart of boosting skills and accelerating career progression in the fitness industry. It’s why leading operator in leisure and wellness, Places Leisure, has made apprenticeships central to its learning and development strategy.
As it stands, 63% of its sites have an employee working towards or who has achieved an apprenticeship. And with a partnership lasting almost two decades so far, Lifetime is proud to have been at the forefront of unlocking workforce potential.
A programme designed to create impact
Through its collaboration with Lifetime, Places Leisure has built a clear career pathway that maximises the use of its levy. And by constantly adapting its provision and investing in key skills, it's retaining its talented people.
How we’ve worked with Places Leisure to reshape their people strategy
The world of skills training has changed in the last two decades. We’ve worked in close partnership with Places Leisure, navigating it through a wide series of complex apprenticeship reforms and funding changes. By reshaping its training provision, it’s continued to transform how its Active Leisure programmes are delivered – and meet the demand for upskilling in a thriving and evolving sector.
As Places Leisure’s switched from full government funding to the apprenticeship levy in 2017, we worked together to ensure its new direction maximised the levy pot and created new opportunities.
And by redefining its strategy to make way for new funding, we’ve optimised the levy’s value and impact to deliver a real return on investment across the business (75% of employees say apprenticeships have helped their career).
The move from frameworks to standards provided another unique opportunity to transform learning at Places Leisure. By adapting its apprenticeship programme to align with new standards, we raised the bar of its entire apprenticeship offering. Now, Places Leisure benefits from a clear career pathway, with 250 learners currently on programmes from Levels 2 to 5 across its facilities and Head Office location.
A partnership at the forefront of redefining skills training in active leisure
We’re proud that our partnership has gone from strength to strength over the past eighteen years, and as the health and leisure industry evolves, so will Places Leisure. By providing a range of programmes that empowers different levels of team members, we’ll continue to share Places Leisure’s mission in helping the fitness industry grow.
From entry-level to senior teams, we've optimised the levy to upskill and create impact at Places Leisure.
Find out how we do itPlaces Leisure have had a long and successful partnership with Lifetime since 2003. I think the key to that success is due to the infrastructure that Lifetime has in place in the form of a team of Trainers that cover the length of the country and are able to support our learners on a one-to-one basis.
