The second phase of the Blueprint Programme launched this month. This phase provides young people between 17-29 with career opportunities in community cricket coaching. The project is funded by Gen22, which supports employability boosting opportunities as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games legacy.
The Community Cricket Programme is spread across 12 sessions which provide knowledge and opportunities to upskill in a range of areas including communication, resilience, welfare and safeguarding. Core to the programme are qualifications that will be achieved upon successful completion. These qualifications include ECB accredited Coaching, Multi-Skills Activator and First Aid certificates along with membership of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
We recognise that starting the pathway towards coaching in the community can be daunting. A combination of factors can put someone off taking the first steps to working in sport, and we want The Blueprint project to help that journey feel more approachable. We aim to increase a young person’s confidence to access a sporting qualification and support them to use it to get their community active and engaged.
Ben Gutteridge (Development Officer – People & Skills)
Participants will also be utilising the Skills360 platform, which supports the development of core employability skills. The dashboard allows users to access eLearning courses, that are easy to follow, interactive and are broken down into bitesize modules. These foundational courses build knowledge needed to thrive within the Sport and Physical Activity sector.
The first introductory overview session was held at Edgbaston Stadium with opportunities to learn about the upcoming programme. During the morning session participants tried out a range of activities that developed their problem solving and teamworking skills. It was a great chance for people to connect and get to know each other.
To find out more about the Blueprint Programme you can contact Ben Gutteridge, our Development Officer for People and Skills Ben.Gutteridge@sportbirmingham.org.uk