Community Coaching Program

The Community Coaching Programme is focused on assisting unemployed people to gain employment, coaching, volunteering and further education opportunities in the sports sector for example as coaches, referees, physical activity leaders etc. It will provide the participants with practical and theoretical sport-related skills and help them find relevant work experience in their local community. It will also contribute to the promotion of both physical and mental health amongst participants and in the community through the subsequent employment and/or volunteering work carried out by participants.

The course will provide specialised sports-focused training and education for jobseekers. Work experience opportunities in NGBs, Clubs, Schools, etc will be built in to the programme. LSPs will be rolling out the courses locally with Local Employment Offices, Education and Training Boards, NGBs and other partners. The Community Coaching Programme is funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund.

Objectives of the Community Coaching Programme:     

– Assist unemployed people to become qualified as coaches, referees, physical activity leaders etc

– Improve the participants’ job prospects within the sports industry

– Motivate participants to pursue the progression routes which have been identified (employment, coaching, volunteering, further education, etc)

– Promotion of positive mental health through participation in sport; both for the participants themselves and in the communities in which they are based

– Provision of coaching in disability, school, community and youth club settings

Provision of coaching in sports where there are no full-time development officers