This content was published: August 27, 1997. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
New Fitness Technology Program Launched at PCC
Photos and Story by Mark Evertz
Personal trainer, exercise specialist, fitness testing coordinator. Health tech students can now pump up their resumes as well as their bodies as Portland Community College launches their new one-year Fitness Technology program this fall term.
Responding to the growth of the fitness club industry in the past decade, the program to be held at the Sylvania Campus will cover basic anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, fitness assessment and programming, backed up by training in interpersonal skills and customer relations.
Students completing the 47-unit program will receive a certificate of Fitness Technology, and be prepared for nationally recognized certification from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. Besides fitness clubs, students will be ready to work in wellness centers, and public and private recreation facilities, as well as in corporate fitness and promotion programs.
"We’re real excited about this," said Physical Education Department Chair Karl vonTagen. "I felt this was one of the areas that had a growing requirement in the market. One of the keys is looking at a living wage."
An independent study in Oregon and comparable data from the state of Washington indicate that fitness technologists show potential earnings of $9-12 per hour, which translates to $18,560- $25,580 per year. The program can serve as a gateway to advanced positions within the health and fitness field, because it also includes courses in business administration and sales.
According to vonTagen, the fitness industry has provided "a tremendously positive response." As a result, the department has created a strong working relationship with local fitness clubs, like Cascade Athletic Club and Nautilus Plus, where students will be able to perform their internships.
The program’s first class, Fitness Technology Seminar 101, which begins Sept. 23 with the new term, has also proven popular with students. "Right now we’re filled," said vonTagen.
But interested students can still start the program by signing up for other required fitness certificate classes this term, such as Human Anatomy and Physiology or Health and Fitness for Life, and take Fitness Technology Seminar 101 next fall term.
The Fitness Technology program was developed with the assistance of a local advisory committee, including representatives from PCC faculty, fitness club owners and managers, high school teachers and college-level educators.