Physical activity employers are concerned by the lack of soft skills possessed by young personal trainers (PT) and believe these qualities require greater prominence within industry qualifications.

That was one of the key findings from a new survey commissioned by Premier Training International (PTI) as the provider bids to highlight key areas of improvement for PT training, tuition and qualifications.

Employers said they find the quality of graduates emerging from training providers varies greatly, with only half of those surveyed happy with the standard of PTs they recruit. Firms generally perceive younger PT graduates to be lacking in both interpersonal (soft) skills and business aptitude.

Employers added that they find that more mature graduates (aged 30 and upwards) bring better life skills into their role and generally perform better. As well as older graduates, employers also said that more females and generally greater diversity amongst the PT graduate population “would be welcomed.”

“Employers have universally requested the need for more interpersonal and business skills amongst the PT community and this is something we’re actively looking to address,” Debra Stuart, CEO of PTI.

“It is also clear from the survey that the industry needs to move away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach. People of different age groups and different life circumstances have different training needs – very often, people with wider life experiences can bring incredible strengths to their role as a PT.”

The UK survey, conducted between August and September 2014, interviewed over 450 individuals. These included employers, qualified PTs and students currently studying for PT qualifications.