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With a flood of aging baby boomers expected to increase demand for fitness and wellness services in the next few years, Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) has partnered with eCampusAlberta to offer the second year of its two-year Fitness Leadership Diploma, Older Adult Fitness and Wellness Specialization program online.
Bethe Goldie, an Instructor in GPRC’s Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Kinesiology, says she wants to ensure individuals working in the field have access to proper training.
“There are many people already working in this industry, often without adequate knowledge to deal with the concerns older adults have,” says Goldie. “Many of those individuals want to enhance their skills but cannot leave their jobs. With eCampusAlberta they can take a portion of the courses online.”
The college currently offers a Fitness Leadership Certificate program and has linked the new diploma program to the existing program, making the first year common to both programs. Many students are qualified to begin their studies in the program’s second year, including those with related degrees such as nursing or physical education, or those who previously completed the GPRC Fitness Leadership Certificate Program or equivalencies.
The diploma program includes two hands-on practicums, enabling students to connect with potential employers. Work settings for graduates include fitness centres, independent living housing complexes, care organizations and specialty organizations.
“The market is there but we’re creating the courses and the business opportunities for our students to be working. Part of our job is educating our students about what opportunities are out there,” says Goldie.
And the aging population will push demand for fitness services to new heights, says Kathy Nilsson, Instructor in the Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Kinesiology at GPRC.
“Once that baby boomer generation starts to explode we will have trained individuals to deal with their health concerns and work with those clients,” Nilsson says.
“We're in a good position to start educating and producing fitness leaders to work with older adults,” she says.
"It is important to have qualified leaders who will be able to effectively and safely provide fun and enjoyable activities for their participants."
Currently, 12 students are registered in the online diploma program for the upcoming year and the college is in the process of preparing an application to have an Active Aging Practitioner Certificate approved for 2011. The new certificate will also be offered online through eCampusAlberta as well as on campus at GPRC.
Learn more about GPRC’s Leadership Diploma, Older Adult Fitness and Wellness Specialization program.
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