Albion in the Community and West Sussex County Council team up for qualification
Albion in the Community (AITC) recently welcomed West Sussex County Council’s cabinet member for education and skills to the American Express Community Stadium to celebrate the charity’s on-going partnership with the local authority.
Councillor Richard Burrett visited the stadium to meet the people behind AITC’s NVQ in Spectator Safety programme and hear from some of the participants about the impact the qualification has had on them.
AITC receives funding from West Sussex County Council to run the course, which is open to anyone aged 19 or over. The idea is to help people gain a nationally-accredited qualification that boosts their job prospects. A number of participants have succeeded in finding matchday work with Brighton & Hove Albion as well as at a range of venues across Sussex, including the Brighton Centre, Brighton Dome and Brighton Racecourse. Some have also worked with Crawley Town FC and Sussex CCC.
2017 was the first year that AITC has received funding from West Sussex County Council, but the charity has been successfully running the course for the last five years – with more than 450 people gaining the qualification as a result.
There are currently 114 people sitting the qualification, which involved classroom work and practical assessments both on a matchday and in simulated scenarios at the stadium where volunteers play the part of supporters.
AITC recently received the highest grade possible for its delivery after being visited by external moderators and the charity has been widely praised for the professionalism of its course.
It certainly impressed Cllr Burrett during his recent visit. He said: “We are delighted to be teammates with Albion in the Community to deliver these courses.
“So far 450 people have benefitted, not only gaining a recognised qualification but also getting the chance to put their learning into practice on matchdays, providing them with a wealth of employability skills and real-life work experience.
“I am delighted participants have successfully progressed to further learning, volunteering or employment and I wish all the current participants the same success.”
Rebecca Collins, AITC’s further education manager, was delighted with the progress of the current intake of participants and grateful to the county council for its support.
She said: “Our NVQ in Spectator Safety is one of the most-popular courses we run at AITC and I am always impressed by the hard work and dedication of the people we work with.
“To have the support of West Sussex County Council makes a huge difference to the charity and means we can continue to provide this qualification to people and ultimately help people improve their chances of finding regular, paid work.”
For more information on the qualifications offered by AITC email: info@bhafcfoundation.org.uk.