Expanded partnership creates direct hiring pathway as trainer employment projected to grow 7% nationwide

PHOENIX and CHANHASSEN, Minn., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of trainers and instructors to increase by 7% from 2025 to 2035, with an average of 68,000 openings annually, the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) and Life Time (NYSE: LTH) today announced a workforce-focused expansion of their partnership: A Guaranteed Interview Screening program for ISSA Certified Personal Trainers (CPTs).

The initiative creates a direct bridge between certification and employment, giving eligible ISSA CPTs access to a guaranteed interview screening opportunity with Life Time, the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand.

At a time when employers across industries are rethinking how to build reliable talent pipelines, ISSA and Life Time are applying a certification-to-career model to one of the country’s fastest-growing professions. The timing is deliberate: Life Time is in the midst of one of its most active growth periods in its 30-plus year history, and that growth translates directly into jobs. Across the athletic country clubs opening through the end of 2026, Life Time expects to bring hundreds of new certified trainers onto its team, making programs like this one a timely bridge from certification to career.

“This is about turning education into employment at scale,” explained Warren Heffelfinger, CEO of ISSA. “The demand for qualified fitness professionals is accelerating nationwide. By expanding our partnership with Life Time, we are helping create clearer career pathways while supporting real job growth in communities across the country.”

ISSA and Life Time have collaborated for several years in education and professional development. The new Guaranteed Interview Screening program represents the most significant evolution of that relationship, formalizing a streamlined hiring pathway for job-ready trainers who meet ISSA’s certification standards.  Life Time also supports the development of current and aspiring fitness professionals through Life Time Academy, which provides certification programs, practical training, mentorship and career-focused education.

For certified trainers, the program reduces uncertainty at a pivotal moment, immediately after earning credentials. For Life Time, it provides efficient access to a vetted, nationally distributed talent pool trained in coaching fundamentals, client safety, and professional readiness.

“As we continue to grow with more locations in great markets, access to high-quality, career-ready professionals is essential,” said Dustin Greenig, National Director of Business Operations at Life Time. “This expanded partnership strengthens our hiring pipeline while creating meaningful employment opportunities in a rapidly expanding field. It’s a model that aligns education directly with workforce demand.”

The program is activated through Career Connect, ISSA’s employment platform that connects certified professionals with leading employers. Eligible ISSA CPTs can view Life Time opportunities and begin the interview screening process directly through the platform.

Industry observers increasingly point to employer-aligned credentialing partnerships as a solution to workforce shortages across healthcare, technology, and skilled trades. ISSA and Life Time’s approach signals a similar shift within the fitness sector, where certification is becoming not just a professional requirement, but a direct entry point into structured career opportunities.

With tens of thousands of projected openings annually, the fitness profession is emerging as a significant contributor to national job growth. ISSA and Life Time’s expanded partnership positions both organizations at the forefront of building a more intentional, scalable workforce model.

About International Sports Sciences Association

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) is the world’s most connected fitness and wellness ecosystem. Since 1988, ISSA has gone beyond traditional certification to build the industry’s career operating system, giving professionals the skills, confidence, and connections to build meaningful futures, while providing operators with the trusted, work-ready talent they need to grow. Guided by the truth that when professionals succeed, operators succeed, ISSA turns passion into opportunity. Its premier workforce platform, Career Connect, bridges a global community of over one million students across 176 countries with more than 23,000 global partner locations. ISSA aims to connect 100 million people to healthy living by 2030.

About Life Time

Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its 195 athletic country clubs across the U.S. and Canada, the complimentary and comprehensive Life Time app featuring its L•AI•C™ AI-powered health companion, and more than 30 iconic athletic events. Serving people ages 90 days to 90+ years, the Life Time ecosystem uniquely delivers healthy living, healthy aging, and healthy entertainment experiences, a range of unique healthy way of life programs, highly trusted LTH nutritional supplements and more. Recognized as a Great Place to Work®, the company is committed to upholding an exceptional culture for its more than 50,000 team members.

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SOURCE International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)