Courtesy: Waterford Today


Education and Employment through Football comes to Waterford

Wednesday, 10th August 2011

The FAI and Waterford City VEC have teamed up to provide a unique opportunity for people who are unemployed and out of formal education to get involved in an innovative project to help them back into the workforce. It's a welcome addition to the landscape in Waterfordin a time when the effects of a recession are becoming increasingly obvious.

*PROJECT FUTSAL is a joint initiative between the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Welsh Football Trust (WFT) with the core aim of utilising football as a social inclusion tool in order to facilitate innovative community regeneration.

The project has been designed through the cooperation of the FAI and the WFT and recently secured funding from the Ireland Wales Inter Reg IV Programme 2007-2013 under the theme of Sustainable Regeneration of Communities.

The overall aim of the project is to provide education and work opportunities for young people in Waterford and to influence and assist community regeneration via employment and volunteerism.

In an innovative move, the FAI and the WFT will cooperate and share knowledge, experience and best practise in relation to grassroots programmes. Participants on the course will also share experiences with their Welsh counterparts by becoming involved in exchange programmes every year.

The project will see resources being invested in twelve communities by the Ireland Wales Programme, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Welsh Football Trust (WFT). It has three main aspects:

Firstly, the rollout of twelve Hubs (seven in Ireland and five in Wales): a Hub is an education centre that will be coordinated by FAI/WFT staff. An academic year of adult education, personal development, football coaching education and work/volunteer placements will be offered to thirty participants from the local community at each Hub. Places on the programme will be offered to both men and women and it is hoped that course participants will make up an even split of male to female participants.

The main objectives are to increase participant's employability and/or enhance their prospects of going onto further education. It is hoped that the extensive programme of football activity on each course will incentivise potential participants to participate in the project.

Participants may be entitled to certain financial support while on the programme and interested people should check with their local social welfare office, job centre or VEC office to see if they are entitled to support through existing schemes.

FAI Development Officer Gary Power said:

"This is a great opportunity for people in Waterfordwho are unemployed to get involved in a project designed to broaden their education and help them back into the workforce.

The added bonus of football being included in the programme should be attractive given it's popularity in Waterford and will bring positive health benefits for participants. With the extra qualifications and work experience gathered on the course, it should provide a real boost to a person's CV when looking for a job or to progress their education."

The second element of the project involves setting up pan-disability football teams attached to each Hub. The project will encourage and assist local communities around the Hubs to support the delivery of football to a wider range of players with disabilities in their communities.

The third aspect of the project will be to conduct longitudinal research on the effectiveness of football as a tool towards social inclusion and learning within communities. Project Manager, Derek O'Neill commented:

"It's a unique cooperation and I believe the project will demonstrate that football and sport in general can advance social inclusion. We expect that this project will further demonstrate the power of football to influence community regeneration and we hope this will be highlighted in the results of our in depth research to be conducted over the course of the project."

UEFA President Michel Platini who was recently in Dublin for the Europa League final also praised the initiative saying:

"UEFA recognises the importance of football as a tool to promote social inclusion and looks forward in this regard to the results of the Research which will be carried out as an integral part of this important project."

The project will affect Southern and Eastern coastal communities in Ireland and Waterford has been chosen as one of the first centres of the project. Hopefully, it will give a focus to lucky participants and provide them with opportunities to build a career.

The first courses begin in September and if you're interested, you should contact:

Gary Power FAI Development Officer Waterford City

0863883850

gary.power@fai.ie

*FUTSAL is the official FIFA version of 5 a side football and in this context, the term is used as an acronym for Football Used Towards Social Advancement and Learning.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com