Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence

Background

Skills Active, in partnership with a number of governing bodies of sport, industry experts and other partnership organisations, has developed the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) framework.

Who is AASE aimed at?

AASE has been designed to meet the needs of young people (aged 16-18) ‘who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to perform at the highest level as their main career goal’.

Notionally taking two years to complete, the AASE framework will proved for the first time a structured national training and development route for talented athletes many of whom may go on to gain professional contracts.

The framework contains a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) which is fully reflective of the broad range of competencies required in professional sport and not a qualification for simply playing the game. It is designed to directly measure the athlete’s ability to apply themselves to professional development in the technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of the chosen sport. Importantly it will also directly address wider issues, such as lifestyle, communication, wider career management and health and safety.

What are the needs of young athletes and their employers?

Firstly, only a small minority of young people who embark on elite training in their chosen sport are ultimately successful in sustaining a professional career. It is still the case that in the majority of sports, earnings are not sufficient to make this possible. Many athletes, who currently represent their nation on the world stage and may be household names, often rely on second careers as their major source of income. Even in those sports where incomes are considerably higher, the numbers who go on to successful playing careers are relatively low.

Secondly, even if a young person is successful in achieving an initial professional contract, their career as an athlete has a fairly limited lifespan. Most professional athletes’ careers are in decline by their early thirties and are likely to be over well before their fortieth birthday. Many professionals will be forced out of performance in their sport before the natural winding down period due to injury, loss of form, or employer financial constraints.

Thirdly, despite the fact that their technical abilities as athletes place them at a high level on the National Qualifications Framework, young people engaged in sport have very wide ranging academic abilities. Some are fully capable of progressing into Higher Education (and many do). Others can achieve A levels. Some are only capable of GCSEs as their highest academic level of achievement.

How has the AASE framework responded to these particular needs?

The AASE framework puts in place a number of skills through its NVQ framework that will be f use for the athlete whether they go on to have a successful professional career  or not. It also allows for a huge range of academic levels in allowing students to study at their particular level whether it is A level, BTEC etc.

Harlequins and Richmond College

Harlequins will give young players (16-18) the opportunity to combine rugby training and academic studies on a day to day basis from September 2007.

Academic studies for Academy athletes will be based at Richmond College, right next to Harlequins home ground at the Twickenham Stoop. The Practical Rugby components will be based at both Richmond College and the Harlequins training ground in Roehampton.

The college is able to offer a number of studying options alongside the NVQ, including BTECs and A levels for those who wish to extend their educational potential further.

The students in the Academy will be expected to offer their services to the surrounding community and schools in the form of supervised coaching and rugby development work. Students will undertake their RFU Level 1 Coaching award and will take a Sports Leaders Award to help facilitate their community work. The students will also help to organise local schools festivals.

The students will have a timetable with a mix of both academic and rugby specific work. Each player’s competitive programme will include playing for Richmond College (both in the Daily Mail and Colleges Cup), representative games and some 2^nd XV games for the most talented.

If you are interested in applying for the Harlequins AASE programme at Richmond and you are currently in Year 11 or 16-19 years old, please contact Richard Hicks at Richmond College (0208 607 8165) or Tony Diprose at Harlequins (0208 780 6415) for further information.