Traineeship with Fulham FC Foundation pushes Richard to reach career aspirations

Richard got his dream career off to a flying start after completing a 12-week Traineeship with Fulham FC Foundation.

The 12-week traineeship helped the 26-year-old take his first step onto his dream career pathway, after spending a year out of work and searching for a new job.

Previously, Richard worked in retail and despite enjoying it at times, feels it just wasn’t for him. He always had a keen interest in computer science and believes the opportunities on the traineeship and the support from the Fulham FC Foundation staff helped him reach his potential.

He is now flourishing in his current full-time role as an ICT Support Engineer at ALRA (The Academy of Live & Recording Arts) after completing the traineeship in 2019.

He told the EFL Trust: “I was without a job for a year and so keen to work in ICT, I just needed guidance and support and the traineeship with Fulham FC Foundation really gave me that.

“The great thing about the traineeship is that it is tailored towards you and your career goals, so mine specifically focused on computer science.

“Everyone on the traineeship was great, I made friends I still speak to now and it really opened up my eyes being based at a professional football club. Having the opportunity to work alongside ICT support specialists at the Club stadium helped me gain essential knowledge in the area and land the role I really wanted.”

Ryan Dempsey, Youth Engagement Officer at Fulham FC Foundation believes the environment and approach of the traineeship is what makes it so unique to other education pathways.

He said: “We meet the young people first and gage what they want out of it to really see what part of the journey we can help with the most.

“We work with smaller groups so that it’s easier to maintain and bring out the best potential of our trainees individually to help them in the career goals.

“We also continue to support them even after they have completed the course, staying in touch to offer any further advice or help.”

Richard added: “I’d really recommend the traineeship if someone needs help getting onto their career path.

“It gives you a routine and is a great safety net and guide. You’re around people who will push you and help you achieve your goals, just having someone there to encourage you can really help.”

To find out more about EFL Trust Education & Employability programmes visit:  https://www.efltrust.com/educationandemployability/