New standards & EREPS classifications

The standards and qualifications that EREPS uses are based on the European Qualification Framework (EQF) which was signed off by the European Parliament in April 2008. Training providers in the EU are expected to use the EQF levels from 2010 onwards – but EREPS has already adopted them.

Because there are national qualification frameworks in many countries as well, the use of levels can become confusing, so the EQF is used as a form of “conversion” to ensure comparability. In EREPS we prefer to use “occupational descriptors” that will be the status of registration that we give to our members. EHFA, through its Standards Council and Technical Groups, sets the standards for EREPS (so it is independent and free of conflicts of interest) and they have been working on new standards for teaching Pilates and for pre-programmed or pre-choreographed instructing.

The EQF describes the knowledge skills and competencies needed at each level (for all occupations, not just for fitness) and these are used to help determine the levels and occupations we use. This is what it looks like at the moment – and perhaps how it will be later in 2009:

The review of the current standards and development of new standards has to go through a wide process of consultation and we expect that the EHFA General Assembly at FIBO in Essen in April where the decision on the changes will be taken.