Coach Core Foundation calls on Government to prioritise sport to help tackle youth unemployment crisis

• Sport is uniquely placed to open-up career opportunities for marginalised young people and help tackle youth unemployment, with one in five 18-24’s out of work
• Less than 1% of apprenticeship starts are in the physical activity sector

Leading sports charity Coach Core Foundation has called on the government to prioritise and invest in sports apprenticeships to help tackle the current youth unemployment crisis and deliver on its Youth Guarantee manifesto pledge.

The charity, which focusses on delivering entry level community sports coaching apprenticeships with over 300 employer partners across the UK aimed at supporting marginalised young people, made the call at the launch of its new strategy at Wembley today. During the event, they announced ambitious plans to create 500 new apprenticeship opportunities over the next three years, helping to deliver sport and physical activity to an estimated 8.5 million people.

Since forming as part of the legacy of London 2012, the charity which is funded by Sport England, has provided lifechanging career opportunities for nearly 1000 marginalised young people across the UK, through apprenticeships in community sports coaching. This sees many apprentices go into further employment, delivering sport and physical activity in their local communities.

Nearly half (43%) of apprentices supported by Coach Core Foundation last year came from the top 30% most deprived wards. Over a fifth were from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to an average of 15.4% across national apprenticeship starts.

The new Labour government’s manifesto included a commitment to a new Youth Guarantee with opportunities for training, apprenticeships and employment for 18–21-year-olds to prevent young people becoming excluded from employment at an early age. It follows a steady decline in the number of entry level apprenticeships, contributing to a decade high number of 900,000 young people not in employment, education or training in the UK.

Less than 1% (0.7%) of apprenticeships starts are in the physical activity sector and the charity along with other leading voices in the industry, believe the sector is well placed to help the government deliver its manifesto pledge.

Speaking at the event at Wembley Padel Centre, which was attended leading figures from sport including London 2012 star Christine Ohuruogu and Coach Core Foundation apprentices, Chief Executive, Gary Laybourne, said:

“The sport and physical activity sector is the poor relation to other traditional sectors when it comes to apprenticeships. We know that sport has a unique appeal to young people, yet it accounts for such a tiny proportion of apprenticeships. It needs to be taken more seriously and prioritised as a career opportunity especially for those from marginalised backgrounds.”

 

“Whilst we can play our small part, it requires the government to work more closely with the sector as a whole to take advantage of the huge opportunity offered by sport to tackle long term youth unemployment, help drive economic activity and growth and give life changing opportunities to those young people who need them most.”

Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive, Sport England, added:

“I am delighted to welcome this new strategy and approach from Coach Core.   Sport England’s own Uniting the Movement strategy includes a focus on supporting the workforce in the sport and physical activity sector in England.

 

We are committed to an unrelenting emphasis on diversity, inclusion, skills and behaviours, to open up jobs in the industry for people from a broader range of backgrounds and experiences. Coach Core and its Project 1500 will be a vital contribution to that.”

David Smith, Chief Executive, Lifetime, one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship training providers, and Coach Core Foundation partner, said:

“We are we are committed to working with Coach Core to create meaningful opportunities for marginalised young people through sport. By supporting Coach Core’s ambitious goal of creating 500 new community sports coaching roles, we aim to empower the next generation to transform their lives and make a positive impact on their communities. We believe sport has the unique ability to open doors, address youth unemployment, and foster a more equitable and inclusive society.

 

We wholeheartedly back Coach Core’s call for the government to prioritise investment in sport as a crucial tool to tackle the youth unemployment crisis. By investing in programmes like Coach Core, we can provide young people with the skills, training, and opportunities they need to succeed.”

Terrell Jordan from London was part of the first ever cohort of Coach Core apprentices in 2012. He joined the apprenticeship programme at 16 working as a volleyball and basketball coach for Greenhouse Sports after leaving school at 16. He then moved to Qatar to coach at a British college and is now a development coach at Nike Town London. He said:

“Coach Core changed my life. At 16 I was a bit lost and growing up in an area where I saw how easy it was to take a wrong turn very quickly.  My apprenticeship took to me places I’d never imagined and built my confidence and that was a game changer. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, showing me there was more to sport than being a pro-athlete.

 

I owe so much of my experiences and career to Coach Core and I’m honoured and proud to be one of the 1000 young people whose lives have been impacted in such a positive way.”

Half (50%) of the 500 new apprentices over the next three years will be from the top 30% most deprived wards in the UK (30% higher than the national average for apprenticeships) with 30% from ethnic minority backgrounds (compared to a national average of 14%) whilst 40% will have additional learning needs (compared to the national average of 10%)

Coach Core Foundation’s plans to create of 500 new apprenticeships to deliver physical activity to 8.5 million people form part their new strategy –  Project 1500. Find out more here.