RAF Sports/Physical and Training Instructor (PTI) - Full Time Career with Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Chatham (ME4 4SJ)

Closes in 16 days (Saturday 30 August 2025)

Posted on 30 August 2024

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Summary

You will play a pivotal role in making sure the Royal Air Force is ready to fly and fight at all times. You will deliver physical training programmes in the UK and overseas.

Wage

£25,200 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

On completion of specialist training pay will start at £35,500+

Training course
Personal trainer (level 3)
Hours
Shifts to be confirmed on assignment to your first station after training.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

45

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Once fully trained you will:

  • Introduce new joiners to military physical conditioning
  • Travel overseas to make sure our people are ready for action
  • Specialise in rehabilitation, adventure training, parachute jumping or survival training
  • Promote and co-ordinate sporting activities

Where you'll work

Chatham
ME4 4SJ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

ROYAL AIR FORCE

Training course

Personal trainer (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Ability to apply appropriate methods and techniques to facilitate clients’ desired physiological goals.
  • Assess clients’ readiness to change behaviour and apply effective change strategies, communication techniques and motivation to facilitate healthy behaviours that move them towards their goals and promote programme adherence.
  • Implement a range of theories relating to client motivation and behaviour change.
  • Identify commonly occurring conditions and provide information, advice and support to clients where required.
  • Promote wellness advice and demonstrate an understanding of how modern lifestyles impact upon the health and wellbeing of the client, providing signposting to appropriate professionals where relevant.
  • Design, tailor and coach an effective exercise programme, using appropriate equipment. Continuously monitor and review the effectiveness of the exercise programme to ensure it is engaging, varied and progressive to clients’ needs and goals, whilst following the principles of training and exercise science.
  • Develop and deliver exercise sessions in environments other than the gym to individuals and small groups. Review and evaluate the effectiveness of these exercise programmes and amend accordingly.
  • Correctly demonstrate a wide range of exercise techniques, carry out reviews and advise clients on their performance and apply suitable adaptations for those at different levels of fitness.
  • Analyse clients’ performance and apply suitable adaptations, regressions, progressions and corrective strategies to ensure continued success.
  • Analyse client’s dietary habits and identify areas for improvement.
  • Apply nutritional principles when developing exercise and lifestyle programmes for clients.
  • Ensure the use of appropriate IT systems to support and manage all aspects of a personal training business such as record keeping, sales and invoicing, client and group management, class scheduling, retention levels and session reminders.
  • Manage the effectiveness of a client’s exercise programme through the use of appropriate available systems.
  • Use appropriate products to support and manage clients effectively. Present, analyse and interpret data and information in line with professional practice.
  • Provide a high standard, client focused service through excellence in the fitness environment and application of best practice such as injury prevention and risk management.
  • Demonstrate tact and discretion when handing client data, adhering to relevant legislation
  • Ability to effectively communicate with clients using a range of techniques.
  • Be able to interpret and evaluate communication and adapt own communication styles in order to encourage and motivate clients to achieve their goals.
  • Ability to implement and adapt strategies to successfully gain and retain clients, ensuring the development and sustainability of the client base.
  • Plan and regularly review business performance in order to meet business goals and targets whilst identifying areas for improvement.
  • Implement a variety of effective marketing strategies to engage prospective clients.
  • Ability to promote and sell products and personal training services.

Training schedule

  • On successful completion of the application and selection process, your apprenticeship will start with a 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC) at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire
  • The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you’ll also learn about the RAF lifestyle
  • On completion of BRTC you will complete Phase 2 training at RAF Cosford
  • The course will qualify you in class instructional techniques across a broad range of physical domains and Human Performance, the effects of exercise on the body, leadership, coaching techniques, sports administration and officiating.
  • At the end of this course you will gain a Level 2 Gym Instructor as well as be eligible to join the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English Language (grade Minimum grade 5)
  • Mathematics (grade Minimum grade 5)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Number skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

PTIs also need to pass a swim test. This is as follows: Swim continuously for 200m, making competent use of a variety of strokes. Swim 50m front crawl within 59 seconds, immediately followed by 2 minutes treading water and lifting yourself out of the pool unassisted. Complete a brick retrieval from the bottom of a 3-metre pool.

About this employer

The Royal Air Force work with our UK and international partners to watch the skies, respond to threats, prevent conflict, and provide assistance in an uncertain world. We provide all personnel with a varied range of training and activities to make sure you're ready for anything. A career in the Royal Air Force will provide you with a whole host of possibilities. You will receive world class training, allowing you to learn and develop throughout your career. We recruit throughout the year, so please ignore the closing and start dates.

https://recruitment.raf.mod.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Pay will increase incrementally each year.

After this apprenticeship

  • The apprenticeship is a gateway to a full-time career in the Royal Air Force
  • Promotion to the rank of Sergeant and beyond is dependent on successful completion of the apprenticeship and then on merit by competitive selection
  • As you advance through the ranks, you will have the increased opportunity to lead and direct people, managing resources and workforce within your area of work to deliver the required outputs whilst maintaining and instilling the highest standards expected within the RAF

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ROYAL AIR FORCE

0345 6055555

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000273998.

Apply now

Closes in 16 days (Saturday 30 August 2025)

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