UK’s First Sports Apprenticeship Academies Launch in London and the Midlands

The UK’s first Sports Apprenticeship Academies will be opening their doors to students in June led by Mitre Group – one of the country’s top training providers.

The first academies, based in London, East Midlands and West Midlands, will bring apprentices from sports clubs and foundations around the country together at dedicated training hubs. The academies will provide a supportive environment for collaborative learning and the opportunity for students to work alongside their apprentice peers from a wide range of sports organisations.

Recognised by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), the Association for Physical Education (afPE) and awarding organisation 1st4Sport Qualifications, Mitre’s Sports Apprenticeship Academies will specialise in Coach Education – ideal for community coaches, community activators, multi-sport coaches and coaches and teachers supporting PE & school sport.

Students will have direct access to Mitre’s sector-leading teaching staff who work with world-class football, rugby and cricket clubs, such as Manchester City FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC. The Mitre team boasts some of the country’s best success rates and is setting the standard in the new coach education apprenticeships.

Jennie Bowmer, Managing Director Mitre Group, said:

“We’re so proud to launch the first Sports Apprenticeship Academies in the UK. These learning hubs will enable our apprentices to share their experiences and learn with peers, regardless of the sport they work in or club they’re affiliated to.

“We’re in the business of changing lives and organisations by providing better learning and development opportunities and our Sports Apprenticeship Academies will allow us to reach more learners and offer each of them an even better experience. Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity for organisations to invest in their staff and develop fundamental skills and we are privileged to have supported hundreds of people through our programmes with some of the UK’s leading clubs and foundations.”

Every student at the Sports Apprenticeship Academies is invited to kick off their apprenticeship with a unique ‘outdoor adventure’ event at Mount Cook – one of the UK’s leading outdoor centres. This exciting week enables the apprentices come together and work on a wide-range of problem-solving tasks that build friendships and a team spirit that sets them on the right path for their apprenticeship. Each academy programme will include guest speakers from across the sports industry, as well as a National Governing Body (NGB) qualification to enable them to start assisting coaching sessions in their given sport.

The academies build on the success of Mitre’s apprenticeship programmes and further enhances its position as the leading provider in the sports and stadia sector. Mitre’s pioneering programmes are tailored to the unique needs of the sector and are delivered by the country’s top trainers, supported by a bespoke online learning portal.

Mitre is a Government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency approved supplier on the Register of Training Organisations (ROTO) and Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (ROATP).