For Career Changers · REPs Ireland Accredited · 5,000+ Graduates
The Personal Trainer Course
for People Leaving a 9-to-5
Weekend and evening intakes. €300 deposit, pay monthly. Up to €1,000 Intreo funding if eligible. Walk into your first paid PT session inside 16 weeks — taught in Swords, Tallaght, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Wexford and Belfast.
Built for the way career changers actually qualify
We have been running career-change cohorts since 2008. Three things matter more than anything else.
Keep Your Salary While You Qualify
Saturday-only, Sunday-only, and evening-plus-Saturday intakes. 16 weeks of structured weekend delivery means you do not have to leave your current job until you are ready.
€300 Deposit, Pay Monthly, €0 Interest
Spread the fee from €2,300 across the duration of your course. Up to €1,000 off via Intreo if you are on social welfare. Refund window through weekend one — no questions.
Job-Ready, Not Just Qualified
Most providers stop when the certificate prints. We start there. The Fitness Business Accelerator builds your client acquisition plan as part of the course, so you can take your first paid session in week 6, not month 6.
What you will actually do across the 16 weeks
Weeks 1–3 · Foundations + Coaching Confidence
Anatomy, biomechanics, programme design. By weekend 3 you will have delivered your first full coached session — supervised, with structured feedback from your tutor.
Weeks 4–6 · Your First Paying Client
Fitness Business Accelerator sprint. We work with you on outreach, pricing, onboarding and pricing your sessions. You will have a paid client by week 6 if you follow the framework.
Weeks 7–10 · Specialism + Niche
Choose a lane: strength, fat loss, pre/postnatal, older adults, hybrid online coaching. Niching early is the single biggest predictor of year-one income.
Weeks 11–14 · Business Build-Out
Pricing, booking systems, social content, gym-floor vs studio vs home-visit models. You leave with a working business, not a certificate sitting on the shelf.
Weeks 15–16 · Final Assessment + Launch
Practical assessment, theory exam, REPs registration. Then 6–12 months of post-qualification mentorship community access — depending on your pathway.
“Every other provider stops when the certificate prints.
That is when we start.”
— Image Fitness Training · Where Coaches Are Made
2026 intakes near you
Career changer questions
Can I really change career to personal training while keeping my current job?+
Yes — most career changers on our course do exactly that. The 16-week Saturday and Sunday intakes were designed specifically for full-time professionals who need to keep their income while qualifying. Roughly 7 in 10 students on those intakes stay in their original role until weeks 10–14, then transition.
Is the qualification recognised if I want to work as a PT in Ireland?+
Yes. The Image Fitness Training Personal Trainer Course is REPs Ireland accredited (Register of Exercise Professionals) and EQF Level 3 & 4 certified. That is the qualification floor required by Irish gyms, studios and PT insurance providers, and it transfers to the UK and EU.
I was made redundant — is there funding to help with the course fee?+
If you are signing on with the Department of Social Protection, you may be eligible for up to €1,000 off through the Intreo Office. We also run a €300 deposit with monthly payment plans so no career changer has to find the full fee upfront. Our admissions team will walk you through what you qualify for on a free call.
I am in my 40s or 50s — am I too old to start this career?+
No. Our 2025 graduate cohort spanned ages 22 to 61. Career changers in their 40s and 50s often outperform younger graduates in year one — credibility with clients, professional network, and life experience compound into a faster client base.
How quickly can I start earning as a PT after qualifying?+
Most graduates take on their first paid client during the course, not after it. The Career and Business pathways include the Fitness Business Accelerator, where you build your client acquisition plan as you study. Average year-one earnings for graduates who follow the FBA framework are €27,000–€38,000; senior PTs (4+ years) average €44,000+ per ERI SalaryExpert 2026 data.
What is the difference between The Cert and The Career pathway?+
The Cert (€2,300) gets you qualified — REPs accredited, three certifications, full curriculum. The Career (€2,600) adds the Fitness Business Accelerator — 12 weeks online, a live Zoom session and a mentor call every week — and 6 months community access. Career changers usually start on The Career.
What if I decide it is not for me after starting?+
Full refund window after the first weekend. We would rather you leave on weekend one than complete a course that is not the right fit. After that, partial refund options apply depending on how far through you are.
Get the 2026 Course Pack
Full curriculum, payment plan options, intake dates near you, and three real graduate income reports. Sent immediately. No spam.