Coach Core Foundation launches in Liverpool, calling on employers to help transform young lives through sport
National sports apprenticeship charity Coach Core Foundation is marking Youth Employment Week with the launch of its programmes in Liverpool. The expansion is targeting the city’s 15,000+ young people estimated to be not in education, employment or training (NEET), and calling on local employers to get involved.
Coach Core Foundation, the charity that delivers life-changing sports apprenticeships for young people aged 16 to 24, is launching in Liverpool, bringing its proven model to a city with some of the highest concentrations of youth unemployment in the country. The launch on the first day of Youth Employment Week (an annual national celebration of early careers and youth employment) underlines the charity’s commitment to making sport a genuine pathway into employment for young people who need it most.
Liverpool is home to around 90,000 young people aged 16 to 24 – a demographic profile that skews younger than the UK average. Yet an estimated 17.5% of those young people are NEET, representing over 15,000 individuals who are currently outside education, employment or training1. Against a national backdrop in which nearly one million young people across the UK (approximately one in eight) are NEET (a figure that has risen by over 200,000 since 2022), the need for targeted, practical intervention has never been greater2.
Coach Core Foundation works with underrepresented young people, connecting them with employers in the sports industry through apprenticeships. Beyond training, the charity provides wraparound support that addresses the multiple barriers young people face, from lack of qualifications to mental health challenges, to help them access and sustain meaningful employment.
The charity’s 2025 Impact Report3 highlights record-breaking outcomes across the organisation. Coach Core has supported 1,150 apprentices in total, with 113 new apprenticeship starts last year. Of those completing the programme, 74% progressed into confirmed employment, further education or additional training. The social and economic value generated by each apprenticeship is estimated at £32,700 – meaning the 113 starts in 2025 alone generated approximately £3.6 million in total value. For every £1 of grant funding invested, £9.34 in total value is generated.
The charity continues to reach those who need it most. In 2025, 55% of apprentices came from the 30% most deprived communities in the UK, with 22% from the top 10% most deprived areas. Female representation grew to 45%, a 5% increase on the previous year, and 24% of apprentices identified as being from an ethnic minority background. Thirty percent began the programme without an English or Maths GCSE – one of the strongest risk factors for becoming NEET.
Gary Laybourne, Co-Founder and CEO of Coach Core Foundation, said:
“Liverpool is a city where sport plays a central role in the lives of those who live there. It’s the thing that unites and energises everyone and it plays a central part in the health and happiness of communities across the city. Sport means so much, particularly to a generation of young people who are ready to thrive if given the right opportunity.
“Expanding Coach Core into Liverpool is something we’re genuinely excited about. We know from our work across the country that when young people are given a real chance to grow through sport, the impact ripples far beyond the individual. Liverpool is a key focus area for us, but we know that this is a programme that must be shaped by the needs of those locally, and so we are looking for employers in and around the city who share our belief that a sports apprenticeship can change the course of a young person’s life.”
Coach Core Foundation is now actively seeking Liverpool-based employers to partner with the charity by offering apprenticeship placements. The charity works predominantly with small and micro employers, providing them with the support they need to recruit, retain and develop diverse young talent.
The benefits extend beyond individual employers and apprentices. In 2025, Coach Core apprentices delivered over 100,000 community sessions, reaching an estimated 1.5 million participants across England – a powerful demonstration of the ripple effect that comes when young people in sport roles are given the chance to lead.