Malta FA kicks off sports leadership and management courses

Young people interested in pursuing a job in sports now have the chance to tap into these opportunities thanks to the Skills4Sports project.

As one of the main partners of this programme, the Malta Football Association, through its Football Social Responsibility (FSR) department, will be hosting a series of free courses with the first one, focusing on Sports Leadership and Management, commencing in January.

Peter Busuttil, the Head of the Malta FA’s FSR department who co-ordinates the Skills4Sports project said: “Sports is a massive industry covering a wide spectrum of professions and jobs beyond the field of play or the competitive arena.

“Young people in Malta now have this great opportunity to learn more about employment and career possibilities in sports, especially football, by enrolling in one of the upcoming courses.” 

“The main objective of Skills4Sports is to address the skills gap in the sports sector and facilitate access to sports-related jobs for these young people. All courses will be offered free of charge.”

Interested candidates can apply for the first Sports Leadership and Management module by sending an email to fsr@mfa.com.mt (write Skills4Sports in the subject line).

The courses will be conducted by experts and prominent personalities with a wealth of experience in sports-related jobs, including Skills4Sports Malta ambassadors, former Malta coach Ray Farrugia, and Hibernians FC and Malta Women’s Team player Martina Borg. The Skills4Sports curriculum was launched last week during a session at MCAST.

SKILLS4SPORTS – BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Malta FA is one of eight partners of the Skills4Sports project which aims to increase the employability of NEETs (young people who neither study nor work).  Under the umbrella of the European Union ‘ENI CBC MED’ programme, the project has a duration of two-and-a-half years and is mostly funded by the European Union.

More and more young people neither study nor work. After completing compulsory studies, these young people encounter considerable difficulties accessing an increasingly demanding labour market. They are the so-called NEETs (not in education, employment or training).  In the Mediterranean region, statistics show that youth unemployment doubles adult unemployment.  According to the International Labour Organisation, young people in the southern Mediterranean are three times more likely to be out of work.  In contrast, prominent economic sectors, such as the sports industry, have challenges in finding the right skills for their growing needs when recruiting employees.