Today, Leyton Orient FC Chairman Barry Hearn launches npower What’s Your Goal? at the East London club, inviting local teenagers to kick-start their careers by applying for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the nation’s favourite sport. Open to all ambitious 16-18 year olds in East London, 11 lucky teenagers will be mentored by one of the Leyton Orient staff and asked to put their skills to the test by taking over Leyton Orient on match day, a first for the club.
From preparing the team’s warm-up session ahead of the match to working with manager Russell Slade on the final team selection, to marking out the lines on the pitch ahead of kick-off, the teens will be put through their paces by the Leyton Orient backroom team. By shadowing their mentor’s day-to-day routine, the teens will gain genuine experience of what it’s like to have these coveted roles within the football industry.
This exciting opportunity is just one of many work experience placements available to young people across the UK, as a part of the What’s Your Goal? campaign. Alongside this, npower is working with The Football League and all the remaining 71 clubs in The Football League to offer 350 young people in Years 10-11 the chance to experience football’s world of work. What’s Your Goal? allows students to develop their workplace skills first-hand with those professionals doing the job at their local clubs.
Barry Hearn, Chairman of Leyton Orient, comments: “We’re delighted to be a part of npower What’s Your Goal? by inviting young people from the local community to gain priceless experience at Leyton Orient FC. We are looking for 11 ambitious teenagers who have real passion and enthusiasm for the game, as well as the 11 roles on offer here at the club.
“A career in football takes hard work and determination; the teens will be thrown in at the deep end! They will be asked to make some important decisions come match day, so they will need to be confident in their new skills.”
Clare McDougall, npower’s head of education and community, adds: “We’re thrilled Leyton Orient FC is offering young people this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What’s Your Goal? is a unique programme that offers young people a fantastic opportunity to experience what work is really like in the world of football. The teens will be able to try their hand at incredible jobs and develop crucial workplace skills.”
To apply for the opportunity at Leyton Orient FC, 16-18 year olds are asked to enter by simply filling out an online application at www.npower.com/whatsyourgoalatleytonorient.
The Football League will provide over 350 work experience roles for young people in Year 10 or Year 11. See www.npower.com/whatsyourgoal to see which roles each of the 71 clubs is offering.