A new health and fitness college, providing full- and part-time certificates and diplomas, educational facilities and student accommodation is on track to open in Dubai Marina in January 2012.
The ETA Dubai initiative is a partnership between holding company Core Direction founder Clifford Tindell and South Africa’s leading health and fitness education provider Exercise Teachers Academy (ETA), registered by the South African Department of Higher Education and a member of the global Register for Exercise Professionals (REP).
ETA Dubai is said to be in talks with Dubai’s relevant government authorities, including the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, over local accreditation of the courses on offer.
| Advertisement |
“Across the region, there are no full-time health and fitness education providers accredited and registered with the right municipal bodies. The bottom line is, if you’re just out of school and want to get involved in the health and fitness industry, you can’t do it in Dubai,” Tindell told Leisure Manager.
The college will offer full-time certificates and diploma courses over one-two years in fitness, sports management and coaching science, taught in the 4500ft² campus within the Dreams Tower B, in Dubai Marina.
A number of part-time courses, including yoga instructing and foundation courses will also be available.
Registrations for the college opened in September, according to Tindell, who said applicants are expected to have a good grasp of English and to have achieved A-level qualifications. However, students who don’t possess A-levels may be invited to sit an entry exam and submit a letter detailing their industry interest and activities to support their application.
While the lecture theatre will be able to capacitate up to 80 students per course, ETA Dubai will only enroll between 30 and 40 students for each stream starting in January.
The firm recently ran a pilot part-time course comprising 21 Dubai-based students from Syria, Lebanon, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa among other nationalities, which recorded a 100% pass rate, according to Tindell.
Clinical nutritionist and personal trainer Ryan Penny was among the course lecturers on the pilot course, with other international experts expected to join the teaching team in January.
“We don’t want to be seen as a fitness company offering education on the side, we want to be seen as an education company specialising in fitness so parents are happy to send their kids to us for a first-class education ready to enter the health and fitness industry,” said Tindell.
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
Jan 3, 2013
Are there any vacancies for tutors, assessors or internal verifiers?