“Week at Work” – Work Experience Programme for Young People
A unique opportunity for Year 9 and Year 10 students to experience life within a football club charity
EDIT – this programme is now closed for applications until further notice. Thank you for the incredible response!
Sheffield United Community Foundation is delighted to launch its new “Week at Work” programme, providing Year 9 and Year 10 students from across Sheffield with a unique opportunity to gain real-world work experience within a professional football club charity setting. The two-week programme has been designed to give young people a genuine insight into the wide range of careers available across sport, education, community development and the charitable sector.
The programme has been developed to give students a broad understanding of the many career opportunities that exist beyond the pitch. Across two exciting weeks, participants will work alongside Foundation staff and experience the day-to-day operations that help deliver community programmes across South Yorkshire. Students will gain first-hand experience of how a football club charity operates and the impact it has within local communities.
Rather than focusing on one specific area, participants will gain insight into multiple departments, helping them explore future career options, develop employability skills and better understand how a charity linked to a professional football club operates.
Importantly, the programme will introduce students to a wide range of careers and job roles within the sport and leisure industry that many may not even realise exist. While roles such as football coaching are often well known, students will also gain first-hand experience of areas including marketing, esports, education, safeguarding, disability sport, health and wellbeing, operations, community development and strategic management. This broader exposure will help students identify career pathways that match their interests, skills and future ambitions.
The Week at Work programme has been designed to be interactive, engaging and hands-on. Students will be actively involved in practical activities, workshops, projects and challenges that reflect real workplace responsibilities, allowing them to gain meaningful experience while developing valuable workplace skills.
Throughout the placement, students will take part in a variety of workshops and practical activities covering:
- Football and Community Coaching
- Education and Teaching
- Esports and Digital Engagement
- Marketing and Communications
- Disability Sport and Inclusive Practice
- Health and Wellbeing
- Safeguarding and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
- Foundation Operations, Finance and Strategy
The programme has been carefully designed to combine presentations, practical experiences, challenges and workplace simulations, allowing students to experience what it is really like to work in different roles across the organisation.
Throughout the two-week programme, students will build a personal portfolio of evidence that captures their learning, achievements and reflections from each placement day. This will include worksheets, activity outcomes, photographs, project work and written reflections linked to the different departments they experience. At the end of the programme, students will present their portfolio to Foundation staff, showcasing the skills, knowledge and experiences they have developed throughout their placement. Students will also leave with a valuable record of achievement that can support future college, apprenticeship and employment applications.
Ryan Collins, Head of Education and Training, said:
“We wanted to create a work experience programme that goes beyond the traditional model. Many young people see football clubs and charities from the outside, but don’t realise the huge variety of careers involved in making programmes happen. Through Week at Work, students will gain valuable employability skills, meet professionals from different departments and explore career pathways they may never have considered before.”
Places on the programme will be limited, and further information on how Year 9 and Year 10 students can apply will be released through schools and Sheffield United Community Foundation channels later this year.