The degree in Football Coaching, Development and Administration is run in partnership with the EFLT and the University of South Wales, with large parts of the students’ timetables based at Molineux, along with work placements within Wolves Foundation.
With UCAS deadline approaching on January 29th (which doesn’t actually apply to the Foundation degree), young people might be considering their next step in Higher Education and for those interested in a career in football, this course could be well worth looking into.
“The degree helps me gain loads of practical experience to help me enhance my employability,” says Dylan Cook, a second year student whose placement is coaching one of the Foundation’s BTEC teams at the City of Wolverhampton College.
“Pairing my placement with academic studies has helped me develop more as a coach and become a valuable member of the Foundation team.”
Louis Guttridge is a third year student whose studies are combined with a placement as assistant technical director with Wolves RTC (Regional Talent Centre), helping young female players to progress along their footballing pathway.
“As part of my degree, I get to spend my day time studying lectures and completing assignments up at Molineux,” says Louis.
“And then, on the evenings I get to work on my placement in an elite environment.
“Over the past three years I've learned so much with the degree and I've developed so much as a coach, and also gained so many experiences I'd never have gained before such as this placement with the club at the RTC.”
The various modules on the course can open up doors to so many potential jobs within the football industry, and one perfect example of Foundation ‘alumni’ comes in the form of Education Officer Brad Moore.
Brad is the club’s course mentor who oversees the degree working with the lecturers at USW, having graduated with the degree himself before gaining employment within the Foundation.
“For people with an interest in football, wanting to go into higher education with an aim of one day working in the industry, there can be few better experiences than studying for this degree at Wolves,” he explains.
“The pull of the club is huge in what we do, because you become embedded within the Foundation and all the different opportunities that follow.
“The employability rate from the degree is very high – I went on to work for the Foundation but others have gone on to become PE teachers and sports coaches out in the region.
“The work placements are particularly valuable, and you see with the likes of Dylan and Louis how much it improves their confidence and gives them valuable experience which they can hopefully take forward after completing the course.
“We are now looking for people who want to begin their journey and pursue a career in the sport and education industry to apply for the degree.”
The course has continued to be delivered online when needed in keeping with Covid-19 restrictions, but hopes are high that by the time the 2021 cohort kick off in September, normal routines will be much improved including the prospect of residential trips which form part of the syllabus.
To register an interest in applying for the degree, or to find out more, click here to complete and submit an Expression of Interest form.
