In this blog from ukactive Strategic Partner, STA, the organisation’s CEO, Dave Candler, explain the complex challenges facing the aquatics industry and shares his reflections on what interventions are having a positive impact in the sector.
Across the physical activity and leisure sector, there is growing recognition that collaboration is essential if we are to address the complex challenges facing our industry. Nowhere is this more evident than in aquatics.
Swimming is one of the UK’s most valued life skills, yet the sector continues to operate under significant pressure. Pool closures, rising operating costs, workforce shortages and inequalities in access all influence the current landscape. At the same time, public demand for swimming remains strong. Families continue to place huge value on swimming for safety, confidence, health and wellbeing.
The challenge facing the sector is therefore not demand, but ensuring the sustainability and capacity needed to meet it. Addressing this requires coordinated action across operators, training providers, governing bodies and sector partners.
Having worked within the aquatics sector for more than three decades, including the past ten years as CEO of the STA, I have seen both the challenges and the resilience that characterise this industry. While the pressures facing the sector have evolved over time, one constant remains. There is a shared commitment to ensuring that people of all ages and abilities have the opportunity to learn a skill that can ultimately save lives.
Over the past decade, some of the most positive developments in aquatics have come from organisations working together around shared priorities. The strengthening of relationships with bodies such as ukactive and CIMSPA, alongside the formation of the Swimming Alliance, has helped create a more coherent and collaborative approach to sector challenges.
It’s also important to share insight, identify common challenges and contribute to the development of practical solutions for the sector and forums such as ukactive’s Strategic Partner Aquatics Group are increasingly important in ensuring that aquatics is represented within wider physical activity policy and workforce discussions. It also enables swimming to benefit from innovation and learning across the broader leisure sector.
Alongside my role at STA, I also serve as CEO of the International Federation of Swimming Teachers’ Associations. An international perspective reinforces many of these lessons. Through this role, we regularly share learning with partner organisations across 22 countries, highlighting that many of the challenges facing swimming in the UK – from workforce sustainability to access and affordability – are reflected globally.
One of the most pressing issues facing aquatics today is the recruitment and retention of swimming teachers. The shortage has been widely documented, but meaningful solutions require a long-term view. Swimming teaching must be positioned as a sustainable and respected profession, supported by clear training pathways, strong standards and ongoing professional development.
Encouragingly, there is positive progress behind the advancement of swimming teacher training. Programmes are being designed to reflect the needs of today’s learners as well as the opportunities presented by developments in technology and AI. Greater emphasis is also being placed on practical teaching skills, work-ready training and structured professional development following qualification.
An example is the recently introduced Level 2 Swimming Teacher Qualification that has been designed to better prepare new teachers for the realities of poolside teaching by combining practical learning, clearer assessment structures and access to ongoing professional development. This has the aim to ensure that newly qualified teachers enter the workforce feeling confident, capable and supported and early engagement has been encouraging with more than 450 learners beginning their swim teaching journey in the first 50 days,
Retention is just as important as recruitment and supporting teachers early in their careers with structured CPD, professional membership and mentoring can play an important role in helping new teachers feel supported and valued and essential if the sector is to build a confident and sustainable workforce
Industry initiatives that celebrate excellence across the sector also play an important role in recognising the individuals and organisations driving progress. At a time when our sector faces real and persistent challenges, recognising impact, leadership and collaboration has never been more important and returning as the headline sponsor of the ukactive Awards for the fourth year running, STA is proud to help shine a light on the individuals and organisations making a genuine difference across sport, physical activity and leisure.
Swimming is a lifelong passion for me, but leadership in this sector also carries responsibility. It means listening as much as leading, using evidence to inform action, and ensuring that decisions taken today improve access and opportunity tomorrow. By strengthening partnerships, modernising workforce development and keeping accessibility at the heart of decision making, we can ensure swimming remains a vital, inclusive life skill for generations to come.
To learn more about STA, click here.
STA is a member of the ukactive Strategic Partner Group – find out more here.
Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of ukactive.
