Behind almost every business there’s an office, and a group of people that keeps things ticking along – even when the going gets tough. Here at Onfit Training College, we place a huge emphasis on the culture of our workplace, and we know just how important that can be when it comes to creating high quality educational courses and fulfilling the needs of our students.
To provide an inside glimpse into the inner workings of Onfit, we sat down with Education Manager, Jeff Cook, who has been with the company since day one. Let’s take a closer look at the people and place that makes Onfit what it is.
In any particular day we handle anything from 10 to 50 student phone calls
Education Manager Jeff Cook
Jeff is in a great position to talk about what makes Onfit special, having been a part of the business since its formation back in 2008. Before that, Jeff had actually worked with Onfit’s owners Don and Rhonda Bacchi in a different organisation, so it’s safe to say that he knows the culture behind the company, inside and out.
As the education manager, Jeff looks after everything from the assessing of students through to the authoring of course material and day-to-day student needs. This requires collaboration with the rest of the team alongside a deep knowledge of the health and fitness industry as a whole, but it’s certainly a challenge that Jeff relishes and enjoys.
Describing a ‘normal’ day at the Onfit office, Jeff starts by saying that “it’s always busy, but from an educational perspective definitely involves student service. In any particular day we handle anything from 10 to 50 student phone calls – covering everything from their course to the industry itself, and through to hints and tips as how to be better at what they do.” Fielding these student enquires, regardless of what they might be, is absolutely critical to the team at Onfit, as they really provide an opportunity to directly assist with learning outside of the normal course material.
Working on the big picture
Aside from the daily work of helping students, there’s also a large focus at Onfit on the bigger picture – not just of the company but the forward direction of the industry too. These larger projects could be something along the lines of writing a new fitness qualification, which requires a large amount of research before work can actually begin on authoring and publishing.
One of the things that makes Onfit’s courses unique is that all of the work on them is done in-house, with wider consolation and feedback from other industry professionals taking place along the way.
“That sort of project can take anywhere from four weeks right through to 12 months, depending on the scale,” said Jeff.
Every member of the Onfit team has their own specific set of skills.
The team at Onfit
Of course, another of the key parts of the Onfit office is the incredible group of people who work here at our location near Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. Every member of the Onfit team has their own specific set of skills, and these all come together both in the daily running of training courses as well as the bigger picture projects.
“We split up into individual groups and then collaborate,” said Jeff. “We try to play to everybody’s strengths and effectively they’ll write their own sections before we collate everything together and see if there are parts that can be added to enhance the product.”
When asked to describe the group of people that work at Onfit, Jeff again emphasised the diversity within the team – with each member of staff having their own areas of expertise as well as complimentary experiences within the industry. Like Jeff, there are several core members who have been with the business since day one, but there are also some newer recruits who have helped to mold the continued development and strive for excellence that Onfit is known for.
Building for the future
During his time with Onfit, Jeff has already seen Onfit grow and evolve within the sector. One of the biggest changes that he’s noticed over his tenure is the shift towards being an online organisation. Embracing new technology has allowed the courses to reach more and more students, providing a high level of education to students without them having to leave their own living room.
These are just a few of the changes that have been introduced by the Onfit leadership team over the years, and with a continual goal to improve every day, we can’t wait to see how the next few years shape up! Looking to the future, there is plenty more change coming to Onfit – “we’re always looking at how to stay ahead, and looking to the future of what’s to come in the industry.”
Of course, predicting what’s to come is key, but Onfit’s overall mission is to not only predict, but change and improve where the health and fitness industry is headed. Jeff explains, “that’s at the core of what makes Onfit such a great company to work for and with.”
For more information on any of our courses, be sure to get in touch with Onfit today.
