This partnership brings together two organisations with a shared commitment to supporting the development of young people both in the classroom and as aspiring young athletes and future workforces within the game.
The collaboration will bring together the expertise and resources of the Club and Worthing College to maximise engagement, enhance educational and sporting provision and provide meaningful opportunities for young people both on and off the pitch.
An exciting three-year initial partnership, it will involve the Worthing College Football Academy making use of the facilities at Worthing FC for training, matchdays and the additional extras to enhance the player experience and development.
Furthermore, the Club will also deliver Coach Education sessions at Woodside Road for a group of Worthing College students – which will form part of their studies and make them career-ready across the coaching industry.
The partnership will also see both organisations work together on targeted recruitment, helping WFC players consider Worthing College as a post-16 education option, with further initiatives to come, which are timely with the current education reforms in place.
Further initiatives will include industry expert talks delivered by the Club, work experience placements for Worthing College students across the club, alongside additional strength and conditioning and goalkeeping sessions where possible to support the nationally recognised College Football Programme.
All partnership activity will be delivered in accordance with the safeguarding policies and statutory responsibilities of both organisations, ensuring the welfare of children remains a priority.
Football Development Manager at Worthing FC, Chris Jones said: “We’re delighted to be entering into this partnership with Worthing College. Education and football can play a hugely important role in the development of young people, and this agreement gives us an opportunity to work together to provide students with more opportunities both academically and within the game.”
“We want to create a genuine pathway between Worthing College and Worthing FC, whether that’s through playing, coaching, work experience or education,” Jones continued.
“By sharing our facilities, knowledge and expertise, we can hopefully help raise aspirations and give young people in the local area the best possible environment in which to develop.
“We’re looking forward to getting started in September and building a partnership that continues to grow well beyond the initial three-year agreement.” – Chris Jones
Teaching & Learning Manager for Sport at Worthing College, Dave Hall said: “This is an exciting time for both organisations to work together to enhance their already outstanding reputations within the local community.
“One of my roles as overseeing the Academy of Sport is to ensure that each sport we deliver has a partnership with high level sporting organisations and I feel that by sharing resources, Worthing College and Worthing FC will be the places to be for any aspiring young person, who wants to pursue a career within football, whether that be playing, coaching, performance analysis or any other route into the beautiful game.
“This partnership I feel will take both organisations to the next level and this is something we are really looking forward to getting started.”
Principal of Worthing College, Helena Thomas said: “We’re delighted to be building this partnership with Worthing FC. Strong relationships with organisations in our local community are incredibly important to us, helping ensure that the education we provide is connected to real opportunities and experiences beyond the classroom.
“This partnership is a great example of what can be achieved when education and industry work together, and I’m excited to see the opportunities it will create for our students over the next three years.”
The partnership reflects a shared ambition from Worthing FC and Worthing College to support the ethos of developing the “academic athlete” and to deliver lasting benefits for individuals, both organisations and the wider local community.
Further details of the partnership and its launch will be announced by Worthing FC and Worthing College in due course.
For more enquiries with regards to this exciting opportunity please contact Dave Hall on d.hall@worthing.ac.uk
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗