Employment, Education And Training Programmes at Everton
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Everton in the Community is all about getting people involved in football – but you’d be wrong!
Everton in the Community provides local people with routes into various education, employment and training opportunities which are individually tailored to suit their learning needs.
Everton Free School
Standing on Spellow Lane in an impressive £4.2m state of the art learning facility is the Everton Free School. The building, which opened in the summer of 2015, has room for 200 students and contains a teaching block, sports hall, a creative block and a covered street to link different parts of the complex.
Students at the School are made up of young people aged 14-16 who have not adapted to mainstream school, at risk of exclusion or have been excluded, have poor attendance records, have suffered bullying or have other related issues. The School provides a lifeline to a lot of young people getting them back on track and giving them an opportunity for education, employment or training.
The school also offers young people aged 16-19 the opportunity to take on further education courses at the Everton Sixth Form. The higher education facility also based on Spellow Lane within the Free School gives Sixth Form students access to Premier League standard facilities at Goodison Park and USM Finch Farm.
Students enjoy inspirational and transformational learning opportunities as they develop and thrive into successful citizens. The school delivers an innovative, personalised curriculum supported by local stakeholders and partners from Further and Higher Education as well as businesses.
Phil Duffy, Executive Director at Everton in the Community said: “The commitment and determination of those involved in the Everton Free School is second to none, nothing short of incredible. The School has a curriculum that creates the conditions for all young people, including their families, to prosper.”
Employment Programme
The charity’s ‘Everton 4 Employment’ programme has worked with almost 1000 disadvantaged people since 2009, through a series of employability courses, enterprise projects and training programmes that have raised aspirations, developed skills and supported people into employment in Liverpool and beyond.
The charity’s Apprenticeship programme, in partnership Riverside College, offers opportunities for individuals who would prefer to work, learn and earn. This season Everton Apprenticeships has broadened out its curriculum offer and now extends to supporting job roles within Hospitality and Catering, Team Leading/Management and customer service. An apprenticeship gives young people the opportunity for practical learning as opposed to going down the more academic traditional pathway.
An apprenticeship programme will last a minimum of 12 months in which in which time apprentices will work to complete all components of the project including functional skills in Maths, English and IT, Employee Rights and Responsibilities and vocational led qualifications. Apprentices will also undertake a recognised qualification in a subject related to their job such as L2 NVQ Sport Activity Leadership, L2 NVQ Customer Service and L2 or L3 NVQ Business Administration as well as the opportunity to work towards additional qualifications in First Aid and FA coaching badges.
As well as the range of qualifications, apprentices will also receive on-going support, information, advice and guidance. Apprentices will have regular reviews with tutors and line managers as well as the opportunity to explore future career paths and personal development via employability sessions.
82% of Everton Apprenticeships successfully complete their full Apprenticeship framework compared to a national average of 72% and through our programmes offer unrivalled educational support and enrichment opportunities.
There is currently 60 Apprentices on the programme, with 31 individuals employed within the ‘Everton family’ (Club, Charity and Free School).
Katie West was on the apprenticeship programme for two years gaining a Level 2 Business and Administration qualification. Katie heard about Everton’s apprenticeships programme after volunteering for Everton in the Community. Through research she found out that she could complete coursework alongside a job and receive a qualification through Work Based Learning.“I applied and then heard back and it was ridiculous how quick it all happened in me going from a volunteer with the Kicks programme to becoming an apprentice. Now my role is an Assistant Executive PA, a promotion after being an administration and Operations Assistant.
“I would highly recommend the programme to others as you are able to ‘earn while you learn’. If I would have gone into further education then I don’t think I would have been prepared for the working world. You can do it. No matter where you came from it doesn’t matter; you can still go and get given the opportunities and do something good for yourself. Everton has helped me so much.”
Everton Free School
