No. As the Advanced Diploma in Pilates Matwork course is a primary qualification it is open to all individuals.

Yes. The Advanced Diploma in Pilates Matwork is accredited by REPs Ireland, which independently verifies exercise professional qualifications to the international standards that have been developed and published by the European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA).

REPs Ireland operates independently of all Education Providers and facilities and works to maintain professional standards in the industry.

All approved REPs Ireland Education Providers are independently audited every 2 years and adhere to agreed terms and standards.

Yes. The Advanced Diploma in Pilates Matwork is fully accredited by REPs Ireland which allows for international recognition via the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPS) which is an international partnership between bodies around the world that register exercise professionals.

On successful completion you will be able to offer Pilates classes to the general public or integrate Pilates principles and methodologies in therapy and wellness if you are already qualified in that area.

Demand for Pilates is increasing all the time with many popular classes fully booked weeks or months in advance. Your earning potential will be determined by the number of classes you offer and the number of participants in each class. It is not unusual for qualified Pilates instructors to earn in excess of €1,000 per week.

The number of classes you decide to offer each week will be determined by your own commitment.

One of the best things about qualifying as a Pilates teacher is that you can decide how many hours a day you want to work and therefore regulate your own earning potential.

Pilates teachers generally offer their classes directly to the public or within fitness centres.

There are many opportunities for qualified teachers as the popularity of Pilates increases rapidly with many of those in the public eye proclaiming the benefits they have received and with many professional sporting teams and organisations adopting Pilates as a core element of their conditioning regime.

It should be noted that as with all professional qualifications at all levels, individual success will be result driven and will be in proportion to the time, effort and dedication you are prepared to offer the profession. Many National Training Centre graduates have started their careers on a part-time basis and have seen this aspect of their professional life overtake their full time career to become their primary or only occupation and source of income.

The course is available in Dublin, at the National Training Centre and in Waterford City at Waterford Marine Search and Rescue.

The Advanced Diploma in Pilates Matwork is delivered over a six month period with onsite classes taking place two Saturdays per month and online lectures delivered on Thursday evenings from 7:00pm – 9:00pm.

No – there is no installment payment option for the Advanced Diploma in Pilates Matwork. Course fees must be fully paid by the course start date.

Students of the National Training Centre regularly receive part funding through the Department of Social Protection’s Technical Employment Support Grant (TESG) scheme.

Individual students will need to contact their Local Employment Services (LES) facilitator to establish their eligibility.

For those who hold a recognised fitness instructor qualification which is recognised by REPs Ireland are eligible for up to 25% funding through the Leisure Health Fitness Skillnet. For more information contact Leisure Health Fitness Skillnet.

For assistance please contact the NTC office of administration on 01 882 7777.

Students of the Advanced Diploma in Pilates Matwork course are assessed through both written and practical examination at the end of each course.

Students must also complete and submit various tasks contained within the Learner Workbook over the duration of the programme.

Work experience is not compulsory on the Advanced Diploma in Pilates Matwork course.

Students who do wish to participate in work experience are actively encouraged and supported administratively as much as possible.

80% – to 90% of students participating on the course will successfully complete all of their final examinations on the first attempt. Of the remainder most will need to repeat one exam with a small number having to repeat more than one exam.

Every individual’s ability to succeed will be in direct proportion to the number of tutorials attended and the commitment and time and effort they are prepared to commit to their studies.

The National Training Centre’s code of ethics requires that all NTC graduates who are actively working with the public, hold a professional indemnity insurance policy which covers them against legal action taken by a client as a result of an injury which was received by following the graduate’s professional advice. Graduates who are working on private premises may also need to hold public liability insurance if such cover is not held by the owners of the premises.

The National Training Centre have a customised insurance scheme with discounted rates available exclusively to those who have qualified with NTC. The policy is one of the broadest available including many important features that other policies may not offer.

The policy has been arranged through Balens Ltd and the insurer for the scheme is the Zurich and DAS Legal Expenses.

Balens are a very well established, fourth generation family-run business dedicated to looking after health professionals. They are built on solid roots going back to 1950 and are pioneers in the development of top quality cover for all types of health professionals with special rates and industry leading cover that has been developing and improving over 22 years in this speciality.

The scheme will cover thousands of other therapies/activities you may require cover for and many at no extra premium subject to suitable qualification held.

Some of the features covered in the policy consist of Medical Malpractice, Professional Indemnity, Public Liability, Product Liability, Loss of Reputation, Breach of Intellectual Property, Client Confidentiality Protection, Loss of Documents cover, First Aid cover as well as Good Samaritan Acts.

The indemnity limit is €4,000,000 per claim for the Republic of Ireland.

Unlike some other policies on the market, an unlimited number of claims may be made for any year and unlimited legal defence costs are also included.

Also included, at no extra charge, is retroactive cover to pick up any previous insured work.

Temporary cover abroad (excluding USA/Canada which is available on request) is available with no time restrictions and at no additional premium as long as you are a UK/Ireland resident.

If you cease to practice Balens include unlimited run off cover which means the policy will always be in place if a claim was made after you stop the policy running and this is also free of charge.

For further information or proposal form, please contact Balens directly on 00441684 580771 or e-mail- info@balens.co.uk