The fitness internship is a necessary requirement to ensure that all online PT students have achieved the required professional European standards at Level 4. 

The fitness internship is composed of 3 different elements:

1. Engaging in voluntary work within a fitness centre local to where you live. 
2. Supporting a mentor certified personal trainer within their own fitness business.
3. Serving a voluntary client to help them move towards their own health and fitness objectives. 

Students are required to accumulate a total of 40 hours of relevant industry experience across these 3 internship elements. Students willingly volunteer their time assisting fitness businesses within their local area in return for valuable work experience prior to graduation.  Students are required to maintain a detailed, verified record of the work they complete. This record is submitted for assessment.  

Yes! Our personal trainer online course is accredited through the European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPs) which means that the majority of European countries recognise the EREPs professional standards system and will recognise our graduates as professionally certified. Currently there are at least 29 countries in the European region that acknowledge EREPs certified students. There are also at least 12 non-European countries that deliver certifications aligned to the EREPs professional standards. 

This makes our personal trainer course a truly international certification programme recognised in more than 50 countries across 5 continents, allowing you to work as you travel the world!

Typically, a European personal trainer certification is valid for life. However, to maintain a recognised, registered professional status it is important to engage in continuing education throughout your career. A certain amount of education must be obtained every year to keep continuous professional registration with EREPs. Personal trainer courses outside of Europe may have different requirements to maintain valid PT status. 

In the personal trainer education market, there may be some training providers who promise a quick or easy solution to getting certified. Be warned of such promises because good quality education will take time and hard work to achieve. More importantly, professionally accredited PT education in Europe must include over 200 required learning standards, therefore, a quick shortcut to teach these important topics and skills would be unwise and could leave the student without the skills to succeed in a competitive PT market.

NFE has thoroughly planned and developed its PT education to ensure we teach all necessary professional standards and to ensure our graduates have all the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a competitive market. 

This depends on the region of the world that the certification will be utilised. Within the European continent, courses that have been accredited by the European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPs) are highly respected in the health and fitness industry. EREPs accredited courses are recognised in more than 35 countries. Our Level 4 Nordic PT certification is professionally accredited with EREPs and gives the bearer all the knowledge and skills they need to work as a certified personal trainer. 

In the USA, the NCCA is the gold standard for third-party personal training certifications. 

The relatively small financial investment in a quality personal trainer course is most definitely worth it! The average income of personal trainers in Europe in 2018 was between  €1400-2200 per month (*this average figure includes both part time and full time PTs), so the cost of the course will quickly be repaid. Full time PTs will likely earn much more than this monthly average. In addition, the quality PT education you receive will also ensure a lifetime of health-promoting knowledge and skills that will benefit your own health, wellbeing, and fitness too.

Personal trainers need not be elite, nor have advanced fitness levels, but they will be expected to have a fitness level sufficient enough to demonstrate the exercises they are recommending to clients. While there are no physical fitness tests to become a personal trainer, having a foundation of fitness will certainly help you to attract clients by being a practicing example of the things you will be coaching others to do. 

You will have a total of 12 months or 365 days from your enrollment date to complete your NPTC course, encompassing the Fitness Assistant, Fitness Instructor, and Personal Training courses. Additionally, there is an option to extend this period by an additional 3 months, subject to possible charges.