ANZSCO transition to OSCA and what that means for the Pilates Profession

Late last year the first version of the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) was released. Included in this were two occupation codes for Pilates. (The previous system, ANZSCO, did not recognise Pilates as a stand-alone profession.)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is now asking for consultation on the maintenance strategy for OSCA.

Dr Penny Latey, a PAA member, has written the below article in connection with the new codes.

Robyn Rix, PAA President

The Business Industry Codes (BIC) designate specific professions or industries for the ATO.  It is aligned with the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). The classification of categories of occupation are divided into Major groups, sub-major groups, minor groups and Unit group. Each major group is a distinct Silo. They are in categories that denote skill levels, skill specialisation, education, qualifications and provision of service. They have been renamed Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA).

Please use this information below to contact OSCA to register your opinion on your occupation

Link: https://consult.abs.gov.au/osca/osca-maintenance/

If you would like any suggestions on how to answer the survey, please email me on penny.latey@sydney.edu.au and I will share my responses that you can use as a guide.

Background

Since there are now different types of Pilates it is important to consider what service is actually provided. Gym large group (over 5-8 persons in a non-population specific) classes – Reformer, barre and Mat Pilates is a form of general exercise that may be beneficial to the well person. It is not safe for the unwell or those with injuries.

Comprehensive and or therapeutic Pilates is significantly different from Gym Pilates. It provides private or semi-private sessions for 1to 4 people and is a complementary mind-body exercise method with assessment informed tailored movements and a high level of supervision to encourage body awareness, coordinated breathing, functional postural alignment from the center for mindful flowing movement performance using a variety of Pilates apparatus that can improve any person’s well-being, safely.

There are more subcategories of Pilates but identifying and dividing Pilates into GymPilates and Comprehensive or therapeutic Pilates services logically fits into completely different BIC- OSCA categories or major groups. If you want to know more about the different types, please check out my articles on the Evolution of Pilates on Research Gate or the Pilates Journal

All types of Pilates being relegated to the BIC-OSCA major category 4 (Previously sport and rec) and only considered having a skill level 3 or less, is inaccurate. Comprehensively trained practitioners are highly skilled. Some have postgraduate qualifications in the Pilates Method (Grad. Cert in Pilates UTS 2001-2005). OSCA states Skill Level 1: Bachelor’s degree, higher qualification, or at least five years of relevant experience. Those with a Diploma or advanced diploma with at least five years’ experience(and PAA members) meets these requirements and should be considered as skill level 1.

If this is not rectified it will have several consequences including:

Pilates provided by a non-registered allied health (AH)worker will not be accepted as providing anything more than a type of general exercise.

All types of non-AH Pilates will be potentially considered rebatable as a gym style service equivalent to strength and conditioning or personal training with no distinctions on what type of service.

All registered Allied Health provided Pilates will be viewed as providing a therapeutic or clinical Pilates service, even though they have no confirmed education or actual Pilates qualifications.

Fully educated and qualified comprehensive Pilates practitioners who are also registered allied health professionals will be indistinguishable from AH professionals who are minimally trained in Pilates.

The complementary mind-body movement modality that is provided by Comprehensive and therapeutic Pilates practitioners will cease to exist as a stand-alone profession.

 

Who benefits from this change to the Occupation codes?

All Gyms and fitness provider businesses will benefit as potential clients will be persuaded that gym Pilates has the same benefits as comprehensive Pilates but is so much cheaper than comprehensive or therapeutic Pilates.

More specifically, fitness providers of GymPilates and reformer sessions, due to the lack of clarity on type of service will benefit from gaining clients by using the positive research findings on Comprehensive, individualised Pilates as a safe way to manage various chronic conditions or age-related decline. These new gym customers may believe they are doing evidence-based safe and effective exercise even if unwell or have a chronic problem, but there is NO evidence that gym Pilates has any efficacy for any conditions, problems or age-related decline, but may be considered general exercise, but currently there is NO evidence that gym Pilates or barre,  or gym reformer is as effective as general exercise.

Fitness Associations will gain new members and customers for their short repertoire Pilates courses. This surreptitious skills creep from the fitness business workers coincides with the increasing awareness that managing some chronic diseases requires funding by government subsidies. The fitness business is using its recent inclusion of Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi politically to encourage the government to recognise and subsidise general exercise, but these complementary modalities are distinctly different from all gym exercise modalities.

Registered Allied Health provided  ‘’clinical’’ Pilates will gain new clients via service creep, as potential clients will be persuaded that only allied health clinical Pilates is safe and effective for those who have an injury or chronic disease, even though there is currently no education in Comprehensive Pilates at a tertiary level and it is uncertain if they have the skills to provide Pilates comprehensively and clinically.

All Private Pilates Teacher training businesses will benefit enormously. Ensuring Pilates is only in the OSCA of Community and Personal service skill level 3, will guarantee that any Pilates teacher training stays out of university or recognised as skill level 1 or 2 and will ensure all private teacher training business models thrive.

With these major players vying for the Pilates Pie, it is likely that the complementary mind-body movement modality that is provided by Comprehensive and Therapeutic Pilates practitioners will be financially squeezed and struggle to exist.

Fully trained and experienced (min 5 years) Comprehensive and therapeutic (clinical) Pilates practitioners registered with the only Pilates professional association, the PAA, needs a specific code. This occupational code or OSCA is logically placed in either of these subcategories below

262999 Allied Health Physical and Sensory Therapy Professionals nec

269999 Health Professionals nec

The feedback form is complex, but it is worth doing. I am happy to assist with guidance on possible answers to the questions in the form and will be provided on request. Please email me at penny.latey@sydney.edu.au.