Knowsley youngsters tackle unemployment and kick start careers

A group of eleven young people from Knowsley have completed a four-day FA level 1 coaching course at Everton Football Club to gain the skills and confidence to get back into work.

The week-long course is part of The Prince’s Trust Football Initiative supported by the Premier League, PFA and Football Foundation.

The group has worked hard to gain child protection certificates, first aid training and coaching skills.

The 16-24-year-olds picked up FA Level 1 coaching certificates which will enable them to manage football teams aged 6-11 without supervision. This can lead to paid coaching work at places like Camp America and volunteering opportunities at football clubs, schools and sporting organisations.

The group were inspired after gaining junior football trainer awards on a range of Prince's Trust courses funded by Knowsley Housing Trust. Knowsley Housing Trust kindly donated the funds to support disadvantaged young people. At least 69 young people will benefit from a range of programmes including two Get Started with Music programmes and three Get Started with Football programmes at Liverpool FC and Everton FC.

The programmes offer intensive weeks of activities run by professional tutors to engage hard-to-reach young people through things that will interest them such as football and music.

Sammier Arnasalam (pictured), 16, completed the four-day FA level 1 coaching course at Everton. She said: “I have now got my FA level 1 and that’s really good because I can now set up my own team when I want. I now help out at my local youth club doing coaching and I love it. I want to do my Level 2 now qualification now.”

Phil McQuaid from Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) said: “KHT recognise the contribution our young people can make in their communities and in these tough economic times it is more important than ever to provide them with the opportunities to realise their potential.

The Prince’s Trust was the ideal partner to help us to develop skills and qualifications for the 16-25 age group, so these young people can secure employment or further education that their talents deserve. Working with coaches from Everton FC and Liverpool FC and music tutors from Musical Youth has helped to broaden their horizons and build their confidence to the point where they are better able to take the next step.

We have been delighted with the success of the Get Started scheme and look forward to continuing our partnership with Prince’s Trust in 2010 and beyond.”

Case study Carl Harper (pictured), 23, from Page Moss Huyton. 

“I first got involved with The Prince’s Trust by attending a Prince’s Trust Junior Football Organiser Coaching course which was funded by Knowsley Housing Trust. I knew that the ‘Get Started with Football’ course, would give me a great opportunity to get more involved with sport.

Throughout the course, Everton football club helped me more than I could ever have imagined. Paul Nagel, the coach, totally believed in me and has encouraged me to get involved with the club through volunteering there. I now go there to help out a few times every week. I use my skills to help others and encourage them to do well.

I am now working for EFC doing coaching I feel my life is moving on now I’m not stuck in a rut anymore.

My plans are to hopefully go full time at Everton FC. Or I would like to work full time as a social worker and work with young kids.

My biggest reward to date was getting the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award through volunteering with the Kickz programme that runs at Everton.

I am now planning to get my Level 1 and 2 FA qualification and then level 1 in Goal Keeping. I hope to get them by staying focused and pushing for what I want.

My advice to other young people would be ‘Do it! There is a lot to gain from it – The Prince’s Trust has changed my life and my outlook on life.”