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The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) has witnessed an increase in worldwide demand for pool- and spa-based educational programs due to the challenging economy and a greater focus on safety.

Current economic challenges and a greater focus on risks have spurred an increase in worldwide demand for pool- and spa-based educational programs, according to the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF).

The NSPF reports a 3.7 per cent increase in their Certified Pool Operator® (CPO) certifications in 2009 and a record 1,340 certification courses are scheduled at www.nspf.org. The foundation has also noticed a significant increase in international adoption and use of its programs.

"The record number of scheduled CPO certification classes is a big step to making learning accessible," says NSPF chief executive officer, Thomas Lachocki, PhD. "And online training is a giant leap to making education more widely available."

The NSPF reports traffic at its online training website, www.eProAcademy.org, where more than 20 online courses are available, has doubled since last year.

"More minds are open to education as the key to turn around their economic conditions," Lachocki says. "This is true for people around the world who wish to thrive as service/aquatic facility professionals, retailers or builders."

NSPF educational materials and instructors have trained more than 240,000 professionals in over 44 countries.