Education Providers Information

General Information

Welcome to the Education Providers page, designed for education providers considering registering a course with REPs. From this page you will find links to information resources, as well application forms to have courses registered with REPs.

Students wanting get training to work in the exercise industry should go to our initial training page. Exercise Professionals wanting to up skill should view our ongoing education page.

Most of New Zealand's major education institutions that offer training in the area of exercise prescription have now applied to REPs for recognition as a Registered Education Provider. Lists of these can be found on our recommended courses page.

Institutions that have applied now form the exclusive basis for recommendation from REPs to students - we only recommended courses that are registered or have applied for registration.

For common questions relating to registering a course with REPs please see our Education Providers Frequently Asked Questions Page (FAQ).

Why Register with REPs?

Initial Training Providers

Differentiation: Before REPs existed in New Zealand there was no way of differentiating courses that met the requirements of the exercise industry from those that did not. Often the only criteria potential students or employers could use was the course name and length of study, and this was often misleading. Some four year programmes offered less actual training specific to various roles in the industry than six month certificates, while some short courses failed to cover the basics adequately. Most importantly, there was no independent way of differentiating those that did provide all the training necessary to work in the exercise industry from those that did not.

Now that REPs exists there is a simple and easy way of making such a distinction. It is important to note the registration with REPs compliments the functions of government agencies such as TEC and NZQA. Their audits and checks primarily around process, but do not check for content. The main part of REPs reviews of education providers for initial training is ensuring that the content of the courses teaching and assessment meets their requirements to work in the industry for a particular role.

National Recognition: While many education institutions that offered excellent training we well known in their city or town, very seldom was their courses understood outside of that area, meaning the course was not appropriately recognised, and the graduate disadvantaged (ie less likely to be employed). REPs registration is well understood by all employers in the industry meaning a person graduation at one end of the country that registers with REPs can then move and be instantly recognised as an individual who meets the required standards to work in the exercise industry for the role they are registered for.

International Recognition: Over 30 countries around the world have a national register for exercise professionals. The largest is in the United Kingdom (REPs UK), has over 25,000 individuals register, and the longest standing is in Australia, having run a registration system since the early 1990's. In these countries it is now well accepted practice to only employ persons that are registered with the national register. The register in turn only accepts registrations from REPs New Zealand, through a portability agreement in place through ICREPs. This means individuals who obtain a qualification in New Zealand and then travel to any partner country of ICREPs must either first be registered with REPs, or undertake full assessment in the partner country (a costly and time consuming process). Courses that have been registered with REPs allow graduates to register with REPs NZ and ultimately the same in over 30 countries.

Ongoing Education Providers

Providers of ongoing education to the exercise industry have a quick and easy way of having their courses promoted to both exercise facilities and exercise professionals in New Zealand by registering their course with REPs as an Ongoing Education Course. Courses are listed on this ongoing education page, and there is also the ability of these to be promoted directly to those registered with REPs via regular emails.

In addition, as individuals registered with REPs must do a certain number of Continuing Education Credits (CECs) to re-register each year. Courses registered with REPs for ongoing education are awarded CECs, which adds an extra reason why people may choose to undertake this course once it is registered. For full details of how CECs work, please see the CEC page.

Application forms & info sheets

Application forms

Summary sheets

Foundation Applications
(Exercise Assistant and Group Exercise)
Exercise Prescription
(Exercise Consultant Level 1 & 2 and Personal Trainer)