How Coach Core Apprentices Are Changing Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation
For Danny Thompson, Education Manager at Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation, the impact of Coach Core apprentices is woven into every aspect of the organisation. Apprentices have a positive impact on the wider community and challenge perceptions, creating opportunities for young people who might not otherwise have the chance to shine.
Danny states that the impact that apprentices have had on the organisation is limitless, as it’s not constrained to solely one individual or project. He points to a shift in perspective.
“The lens at which the apprentices see the world through has added real value to our organisation. It’s given us a different perspective. It’s allowed us to listen to youth voice and to implement those changes across our organisation and the communities we serve.
“As someone who’s middle-aged and white, it’s a different world. So, making sure that we give them a voice and a choice, and listen and act on that, is really powerful for us as an organisation.”
It’s a simple idea with a big effect. Young people who understand the barriers their community faces, because they’ve lived them, are shaping how the Foundation responds to those barriers.
A partnership built around people
MFC Foundation’s relationship with Coach Core goes beyond training and paperwork. Danny credits Coach Core Foundation’s workforce, skills and apprenticeship lead, Emily Neal, and the wider team as their cause and believes their beliefs are strongly aligned with MFC Foundation.
“They really understand the individual needs of the business, and they help scaffold support and provide a framework that allows us to be able to serve our communities.”
That support shows up everywhere, from recruitment to graduation.
“It’s not one particular thing. They’re involved in the recruitment process with us, by our side. They’re involved in the education process, and they’re also involved in creating additional learning opportunities. Our apprentices champion best practice in other regions, they get invited to events, and that only adds to their depth of experience, knowledge and learning.”
For Danny, choosing a Coach Core apprentice over a candidate who arrives already qualified is worth it even though it may seem unconventional to others.
“The opportunity to invest in young people is what drives it all. The Coach Core apprenticeship scheme allows us to invest in values and behaviours, and then work with Coach Core in terms of developing the skills. That freedom to curate is what makes it unique, and what makes it the perfect partner for our Foundation.”
Reaching the communities that need it most
Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley experience some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country, underlining the importance of Coach Core apprenticeships. By giving young people the opportunity to build meaningful careers, the Foundation is also creating positive change in local communities, with apprentices helping more people access sport and lead active lives.
“We’re exposed to some of the areas of highest deprivation, and this year’s cohort alone, 80% of their time has been in the top 10% of deprivation. It ensures that they’re in the communities who need us the most, and they’re able to engage and provide opportunities that people wouldn’t get if it wasn’t for our apprentices.”
Since September, that work has reached over 14,000 attendees, a figure that keeps growing as the programme expands.
“Our current cohort of apprentices are working side by side with previous graduates…and are all going out into the community, inspiring hope and inspiring confidence.”
That’s the “lasting legacy” Danny describes: not just transforming individual lives but creating enduring opportunities that enable future generations of young people to thrive.
A moral emergency
For MFC Foundation, investing in young people has already paid off, not just in what apprentices have achieved, but in how they’ve strengthened the organisation, making it sharper, more responsive, and more rooted in the communities it serves. Danny describes youth unemployment as a “moral emergency”, arguing that employers have a responsibility to create opportunities and open doors for young people. As he puts it, “There’s an abundance of talent… and when you allow young people to shine, you’ll be blown away by what they can achieve.”
If MFC Foundation’s experience shows anything, it’s that hiring a Coach Core apprentice isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s one of the most effective ways an organisation can strengthen itself and the community around it, all at once.