Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Sport Education

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is contributing to a more skilled and self sustaining sports industry by providing the national benchmark framework for officials and coaches through the National Officiating Accreditation Scheme (NOAS) and the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS). These programs provide leadership, coordination, direction and quality control.

With approximately one million volunteers or paid workers involved in officiating, coaching and administration in the industry and upwards of 1.5 million volunteers overall, providing an investment in improved sport education will be a crucial step in ensuring a more efficient and self sustaining sports industry at all levels.

Local Government too has a role in ensuring skilled and accredited officials, administrators and coaches are delivering sport at community facilities to ensure safe and enjoyable playing environments for all competitors involved in community sport.

The ASC takes a leadership and coordinating role in developing an overall sports industry training and education plan and has an important role in developing training and education packages.

Local Government’s Role in Sport Education

Providing a more skilled workforce at the local level is equally important as at the elite level. Councils cannot ignore the issues and risks involved in allowing an unskilled workforce to deliver sport within the local community.

Local Councils can be proactive by:

• Developing policies relating to minimum levels of accreditation for officials, coaches, administrators and other volunteers delivering sport in the community.
• Encouraging local sporting organisations and other providers of education and training to work in partnership to improve access to sport education programs.
• Providing access to facilities that may assist with the delivery of education and training programs by local clubs and other sport education providers.
• Promoting their Council as a central contact point for information on sport education training opportunities.
• Linking with other external agencies that may assist in providing sport education programs and services.
• Funding or part funding local sporting organisations to develop skilled and accredited officials, coaches, administrators and other volunteers.

For information on the Australian Sports Commission’s National Officiating Accreditation Scheme (NOAS), National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS) and other sport education initiatives, visit the Active Australia web site www.activeaustralia.org

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