“This opportunity has opened new and exciting doors that were not open to me before.”
Stuart Sorensen struggled with attaining any tangible work opportunities after graduating from university. However, after working with Burton Albion Community Trust and Burton Albion Academy on their Kickstart programme, Stuart was able to develop his expertise, confidence and acquire a full-time role.
Stuart, recently graduated from university with a Master’s Degree in Politics. Like many young people during the pandemic, Stuart found it difficult to secure a full-time role or gain experience.
However, when discovering the opportunity to work as a Kickstart Administration & Operations Assistant at Burton Albion Community Trust and Academy, this was the catalyst for Stuart’s career.
Stuart talks about his initial experience with Kickstart:
“I was shown this opportunity by my work coach which fused my interest in working in the community and my love for sports. Due to this, I thought it was an opportunity worth taking and have not regretted the decision since.”
“The kickstart role has allowed me to gain experience and confidence in a variety of ways. This has allowed me to take on extra responsibilities in my new role. I also believe that the confidence and the skills that I have acquired during my time with Burton, will allow me to move forward with any future roles that may come my way.”
“This opportunity has opened new and exciting doors that were not open to me before.”
Stuart was able to a develop his own skills during his role. He played an integral role in coordinating matchday games for players in the U9’s-U19’s programmes.
“We have seen the appreciation we get from the players, parents, coaches, and referees for the effort that we put into our games programme. The one game that I thought was enjoyable to work on was the FA Youth Cup first round game, where the U19s played against Sheffield Wednesday at the Pirelli Stadium. It was really satisfying to help assist on such a big occasion and I look forward to doing more with the Academy in the future.”
Other activities which Stuart was involved in as a part of his role included; Communicating with internal and external stakeholders, preparing large events placed by the Club Academy, assisting with updating and developing a wide-range of policies, as well as gaining a general understanding of the day-to-day operations of the Academy.
After generating an overwhelming impact, Stuart was able to secure his role full-time at Burton Albion Community Trust and Academy, in which Stuart pays his gratitude to Kickstart, as it allowed him to develop essential skills:
“The kickstart role has allowed me to gain experience and confidence in a variety of ways which has helped in taking on additional responsibilities. The confidence and the skills that I have acquired during my time with Burton, will allow me to move forward with any future roles that may come my way. This opportunity has opened new and exciting doors that were not open to me before.”
“The support during Kickstart has been excellent and being given the opportunity to help other kickstarter’s now in my new role is a pleasure. I have had a great opportunity to work with the club and I am grateful for the chance to continue to work with my colleagues in the Academy and Community Trust, and continue to help them on the journey that we are on together!“
Click here to find out more about Kickstart.
