Funding cuts to vocational qualifications had a “significant impact” on the fall in the number of training qualifications that were awarded last year, according to Active IQ’s managing director Jenny Patrickson.

Last week, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) Annual Qualifications Market Report found that the number of training qualifications awarded across the leisure, travel and tourism sector fell to 424,400 in 2014-15 from 475,000 in 2013-14, representing an 11 per cent drop.

Patrickson said this dip related to the broader leisure, travel and tourism sector, rather than just active leisure and fitness-related qualifications and identified a number of factors that impacted the year-on-year certification numbers.

In a posting on LinkedIn’s Pulse news app, she said: “Firstly, there has been considerable change in the way that qualifications are used in schools following the Wolf Report (March 2011) and since 2014 only a small number of vocational qualifications have been included in school performance tables, leading schools and colleges away from qualifications not included in performance tables. Secondly, ongoing funding changes for vocational qualifications have had a significant impact, with the withdrawal of funding for qualifications that do not meet ever-changing criteria for public funding.”

There are 47 awarding organisations operating across leisure, travel and tourism, with 38 of those offering certificates. Active IQ is the sector’s fourth largest awarding organisation, behind Pearson Education, 1st4sport Qualifications and Sports Leaders UK. It awarded 41,900 certificates in 2014-2015, which represents 10 per cent of the market share. In the fitness sector, the company has 69 per cent of the market. For Level 3 personal trainer qualifications, Active IQ holds a 74 per cent market share.

Patrickson said the fall in certifications demonstrated a rationalisation of qualifications, which is gaining momentum now that the Qualifications and Credit Framework has been replaced by the Regulated Qualifications Framework.

She said awarding organisations are required by the regulator to review and refresh all qualifications now that they sit on the new framework. Freedom to refresh core industry qualifications is more than credentials being fit-for-purpose but about striving for excellence.

According to Patrickson. “At a time when there has been, and continues to be, considerable flux in terms of education and funding reform, our team was delighted that we have again moved up the ladder in terms of our positioning as a specialist awarding organisation in the vocational qualifications market.

"Of the five organisations that lead the way in the leisure, travel and tourism sector, we were one of only two organisations to demonstrate growth from 2013-14 to 2014-15, with a 30% increase in total certification from the previous year.”