Stevenage FC Foundation have teamed up with the University of South Wales and English Football League Trust to launch a brand-new foundation degree for aspiring coaches to study a higher education course whilst gaining practical experience out in the local community.

The Foundation’s two-year Foundation Degree programme is a course designed for individuals wanting to attain a university qualification and are passionate about pursuing a career in the football industry.

Students develop the necessary skills, qualities and characteristics that are required to work within professional football club community departments or national governing bodies.

Delivered in partnership with the University of South Wales, Stevenage FC Foundation become one of over 35 clubs across the country to deliver the course including Southampton FC, Liverpool FC, Nottingham Forest and more.

All lectures, seminars and tutorials are delivered in a supportive and inspirational club environment at The Lamex Stadium in Stevenage, via online material. This is supported with residential stays at the University of South Wales campus in Cardiff where students from all the clubs, come together twice a year.

Alongside the academic element of the course, students will complete up to 200 hours of voluntary coaching within the community, alongside the Foundation staff, allowing the students to embed and develop the coaching techniques learnt within lectures.

Through the Foundation’s partnership with the University of South Wales, all students will be enrolled as a student at the university. Students will be able to access the university’s online library, blackboard and learning materials, providing them with the best possible learning platform to excel within.

Head of Foundation, Joe Goude said, “We are incredibly excited about the being able to bring the USW Foundation Degree to Stevenage. This is something we’ve been working on for nearly a year now and we cannot wait to get started. 

“We already have a fantastic apprenticeship pathway in place for further education with Sporting Futures Training and this is the next tier of that pathway that will allow those apprentices to progress to a higher education programme whilst continuing to build on their practical experience out in our community.

“This programme has seen great success elsewhere in the country with some amazing examples of what students have gone on to achieve and the Foundation is looking to replicate that success locally, to create a viable pathway for people to gain new knowledge, but it into practice in the local community and ultimately make themselves more employable.”

The first cohort of students will start in August 2018, but spaces are limited and applications must be received by the Foundation by 1st June. Details of the course can be found below:  

Academic Qualification 
• Foundation Degree in Community Football Coaching and Development

Content 
• FA Level 2 Award in Coaching Football
• Community football development
• Principles of coaching
• Teach you aspects of children’s and youth coaching, football coaching, football development, social inclusion and sports management skills

Costs
The course costs students £8,000 per academic year; however, this cost is covered by student finance.

Start Date
• August 2018

Prerequisites to Apply
• BTEC Level 3 – MPP. A Level - DD
• Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Three A*-C grades at GCSE, including English and maths

For further information on the course please contact Joe Goude or visit the Stevenage FC Foundation website for more details about the course and how to apply.