Workforce Development
Developing a diverse workforce fosters creativity, inclusivity, and empathy, enhancing community engagement, trust and organisational resilience.
In today’s rapidly evolving world, workforce development is more crucial than ever. It involves continuous training, education, and skill enhancement to prepare individuals for the ever changing demands of their role. Investing in workforce development not only benefits employees and volunteers but also strengthens organisations and the communities they support.
Sporting Communities’ workforce development in sports coaching, youth work and play through community development represents a comprehensive strategy to foster talent, support community growth, and promote lifelong career opportunities. We also advocate for progression not only within an industry, but also crossing into other sectors.
A number of our workers have changed career paths based on their developing interests and we believe that it is important to foster these changes with the evolution of each individual’s passions.
Jon Kereztury
Community Development Manager
I began my journey as a Fitness Instructor at Virgin Active while pursuing a degree in Coaching and Sports Development. After completing my degree, I earned my teacher training qualifications with the goal of teaching in post-16 education. As a qualified teacher, I lectured at Derby, South Cheshire, and West Nottinghamshire Colleges before discovering my true passion with Sporting Communities.
Now, I oversee our Training Academy and lead our Apprenticeship programs. Additionally, I support community youth sports programs, which enhances my connection with young people.
Every day, I am excited by the new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Sporting Communities offers a level of freedom and creativity that I’ve never experienced before, enabling me to further develop my employability skills. I am eager to explore innovative ways to connect with and support our communities.
Sports Workforce
Sport can be inspirational, fun, challenging and is an increasingly necessary requirement to ensure that we encourage a healthy and physically fit population. The landscape of coaching is changing to meet demand, with emphasis being placed on the experience of being coached and ensuring that a lifelong habit of participating is established from an early age.
Coaches play a critical role and form part of the key fabric of the community. The desire to be a Sports Coach often comes from an emotional attachment either to the sport itself, family involvement in a sport, a desire to help others, a personal enjoyment of physical activity or wanting to be involved in an activity.
Sporting Communities are embedded into a number of national and local boards that examine how we can best support the workforce including CIMSPA’s Community Sport Workforce Professional Standards Board and Local Skills Accountability Boards. We are also a relationship partner within Sport England’s workforce diversity team.
Below is just one of the pathways that workers within our sports workforce can take within our organisation.
Sporting Communities have been pioneering efforts to develop underrepresented coaches, recognising the crucial role that diverse leadership plays in fostering inclusive and equitable environments within the sports industry. These initiatives aim to break down systemic barriers, provide mentorship, and create opportunities for individuals from marginalised groups to thrive as coaches at all levels of competition.
Our Coaching For All work not only enhances the visibility of minority coaches but also equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary to advance their careers. Our concerted efforts to develop underrepresented coaches is paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive sports industry. By providing targeted support, creating opportunities for professional growth, and promoting the achievements of minority coaches, our initiatives are fostering a new era of leadership that reflects the rich diversity of the sporting world.
Coaching For All documentary
Coaching For All Toolkit
Youth Work Workforce
Youth work as a profession offers a profoundly rewarding career path with substantial benefits for both individual practitioners and the broader community. By engaging with young people through community projects, youth workers make tangible, positive impacts on young lives, helping them develop essential life skills, improve physical health, and boost self-esteem and mental well-being. This role is crucial in fostering community cohesion, as organising and facilitating activities build a sense of belonging and unity among diverse backgrounds, breaking down social barriers and promoting inclusivity and mutual respect.
Sporting Communities is dedicated to the professional development of its staff, providing continuous training and development opportunities to ensure youth workers stay at the forefront of best practices in youth work and sports coaching. This commitment enhances skills and career prospects, making the profession both engaging and fulfilling.
Collaboration within Sporting Communities provides a larger network of professionals dedicated to youth development and community engagement, enriching professional experience and amplifying the impact of youth work. We work closely with national partners UK Youth, The Federation for Detached Youth Work and NYA as well as local Youth Alliances in Derby and Cheshire West and Chester.
Choosing a career in youth work with is more than just a job; it is a vocation that offers numerous personal and professional benefits. By fostering the growth and development of young people through youth activities, youth workers contribute to citizenship of young people, contributing to more vibrant communities while enjoying a fulfilling and dynamic career.
Below is just one of the pathways that workers within our youth work workforce can take within our organisation.
