I am studying at a private studio to teach pilates. I feel the education is good, but since it is not a recognized and accredited studio will I be able to find a teaching job? Do I need to certified by IDEA or some other personal training course? I have many many hours in, observation hours, teacher trainee hours, etc...The instructor is knowledgeable and I have lots of opportunity to practice on my own..stymied right now about my future emploment opportunities...Thanks for any input

Hi Janelle,
The training requirements for employment will most probably be specific to gyms, studios, or medical offices, etc. that hire teachers. As an option to employment, some settings offer positions to independent contractors.
Speak with your teacher and ask if he/she has read the Community post on The PMA Certification Exam here on this site. Imo, teacher trainers have a responsibility to their students to be informed about what certification/accreditation mean as well as the discussions/perceptions in the greater community. At this stage of professionalization, some well-trained and well-meaning teacher trainers might simply not be aware of that process, just as all at this time are not in agreement.
There's also lots of information on Certification on the Pilates Connections Discussion Board; in fact, a question very similar to yours started an in-depth discussion just the other day. Go to:
http://www.pilatesconnections.com/index.php?/forum/41-pilates-certification/
Good luck!

Hi Janelle,

If you have done your research and picked a good teacher training program, you shouldn't worry about it. I have been teaching for 8 years and have owned a studio for 4 years. Over the years I have encountered many teachers, some from reputable national certification prgrams, others certified at small local studios. Some of the best teachers I have worked with were certified by small, unknown studios.

When I hire, I interview people thoroughly. If I am not familar with their certification I ask how many hours they trained and what the training consisted of. I expect someone fully certified on all apparatus and mat to have traiend at least 600 hours. I also ask them to put me through a workout and ask how they would modify a workout for special populations (pregnant women, seniors, someone with a hip replacement etc.). I also look at professionalism, personality and customer service skills.

My advice is to focus on your training now, commit to continuing education and never stop learning. A smart studio owner relies on their own judgment when hiring, not a piece of paper. You'll be just fine!

Hi Janelle,

Unless you've been studying Pilates or some related discipline for a long time, every initial teacher training program is at best a beginning.

As Carole Amend said, every employer looks for different qualities, attributes and qualifications.

Beyond the skills necessary for any personal service professional, I look for understanding of functional movement, critical thinking skills and a dedication to learning.

Hope this helps!

Be Well,

Carol* Rachel Shore
This Is Pilates!

NO. If you have not had formal training from a licensed training facility center, you are not gaining all the knowledge necessary to be the best you can be. It is also hurting the industry.

Here me out.

Just because someone knows the method does not make them a good instructor. Formal pilates training programs like STOTT, Balanced Body University and The Pilates Center in Boulder have very regimented programs that all students must adhere too. They have 3rd party accreditation which holds them to a certain standard and helps codify the industry. Not only that, it makes you more employable buy allowing you to work at various public venues and not just in the private arena. To keep your employment opportunities open (at a hospital, PT clinic, gym, corporation) you need to be as insurable as possible. The only way to get insurance or be insurable is if you have a viable certification from one of the training centers that offer 3rd party accreditation.

Insurance companies and gyms are wising up to this. Do yourself a favor and get formal training. If you are going to pay the money, you might as well get a solid certification you will be able to count on in the years to come.

If your goal is to teach in gym environment, you maybe okay. But if your goal is to be recognized in the industry as Pilates instructor (which is a factor getting employment in Pilates studio or setting up your owm) , i would seek a second generation teacher who is still doing certfication if not affiliated with known training programs like Peak, Stott, Power Pilates, Balance Body and Romana's Pilates. Check the link below for second generation certifying teachers.This is a worldwide/nationwide list.

http://www.classicalpilates.net/index.php

Kelly:
The following information from your 1/21/2010 post:

"The only way to get insurance or be insurable is if you have a viable certification from one of the training centers that offer 3rd party accreditation."

...is absolutely INCORRECT.

The fact that people are~still~being led to believe the above is quite disconcerting, and frankly, shameful.

Also, the PMA Exam is not yet accredited and there are more than several other major training programs besides STOTT (Peak, PhysicalMind, Romana's) that have NOT agreed to the PMA's terms at this time. That information has not been published.

Janelle,
My post on the PCDB:
http://www.pilatesconnections.com/index.php?showtopic=2505
and particularly my comments from October 9(9:06pm) and 28, 2009 address the issues of STOTT's stance on third party accreditation and The Pilates Center of Boulder's incorrect notion above that seems to be spreading.

At the beginning stages of becoming a teacher, it's important to keep your options open and to keep abreast of current news in and around our field, imo.

Best wishes for positive guidance on the path best for you.

I have teachers working for me that have been trained by Romana, STOTT, Power Pilates, Pilates Associates Teacher Training Institute, as well as smaller unknown privately owned studios. They are all equally good, equally informed, equally qualified and equally loved by their clientele.

I agree with Carole and Mary Ann. It is important to find a training program that provides well-rounded and thorough training. After that, competence is entirely up to the individual. I run a successful business because I hire certified professionals based upon individual performance and not the training program(s) they have attended.

Kelly: you need to do a little research. You are mistaken on just about every front. The organizations you mentioned DO NOT offer 3rd party accreditation. The PMA is the closest to actually offering an accredited National Certification and there are several small training programs listed on the PMA web site that meet their criteria for thorough/suitable training. You do not need to be trained by these larger organizations to be insured, and I know several instructors working for/with PTs and hospitals that have not been certified by any of the organizations you list. My studio, for example, is located in a 65,000 sq foot wellness center owned and 50% occupied by a hospital. Within the center are doctor's offices, a day spa, my pilates studio, and the hospital's PT department. As I noted earlier in my post, my employees are trained by just about all of the big names and some unkown. We work very closely with the PT department and the hospital. They know we only hire proficient instructors, they don't care where our instructors were trained.

Janell: I would interview you and then have you take me through a workout. If I thought you were qualified, I would hire you. Check out other teachers and studios to compare, and then, if you think your teacher is good stick with her. Upon completion of her program, continue your education forever :-)

Tori:
Before you suggest that you fully agree with me, please answer this:

Would you require a teacher to be "PMA certified" or would you choose the best teacher?

To be clear, I would choose the best teacher. To me, the "PMA certified" mark would not be a determining criteria.