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Case studies

In this section are a number of case studies outlining our work across the active leisure and learning sector. The case studies give real world examples of how organisations and individuals working within the sector are utilising training and development opportunities to create a highly skilled and competent workforce. SkillsActive has produced a number of careers case studies for the sector, to access them visit: www.skillsactive.com/careers.

Recent publications

AASE and Cardiff City Football Club

Five years ago, Cardiff City Football Club had no meaningful education pathways for its young performers. Today, the club is leading the way when it comes to football education – ensuring every player aged 14 and above is prepared for life once their playing days are over. 16 September 2009 download (2.0 MB)

Nancy Ovens Bursar: Ben Foster

In July 2008, Brighton Cougars basketball coach Ben Foster travelled to the US to fulfil a dream – and now aspiring young basketballers in Brighton are reaping the rewards. 5 May 2009 download (1.1 MB)

Nancy Ovens Bursar: Nigel West

In the summer of 2008, Nigel West – head coach at Lincoln Pentaqua Swimming Club– spent three weeks in California in a bid to learn from some of the country’s top coaches. He got there with the support of a SkillsActive Nancy Ovens Bursary – aimed at helping provide people with the opportunity to capitalise on the wealth of potential learning opportunities within the sport and active leisure sector both in the UK and abroad. 5 May 2009 download (365.0 kB)

Title	Summary
Nancy Ovens Bursar: Duncan Parnis	2008 was a milestone year for 24 year-old hockey coach Duncan Parnis. As well as being awarded a Nancy Ovens bursary for coaching, Duncan was named Young Coach of the Year at the UK Coaching Awards in December and just last month was shortlisted for England Hockey’s Club Coach of the Year award. 5 May 2009 download (324.5 kB)
AASE and Aquatics: A Golden Partnership	In October 2006, the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) launched the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) - an innovative apprenticeship programme designed to support talented young athletes in their sporting and educational persuits. The programme has gone from strength to strength, as this case study shows. 30 April 2009 download (383.7 kB)
10k run gives Cardiff man a new career path	Mark Tregilgas, 29, discovered his perfect career at the age of 25, whilst running through a sunny park in Cardiff. Just 18 months later he’s fully qualified as a personal trainer, his business 'Fitness and Motivation' has 30 client sessions a week booked and he’s making a good living. 26 March 2009 download (299.5 kB)
Work Based Learning Pathway student: Chelsea Bricknell	Case study of a Work Based Learning Pathway student at Cantonian School, Cardiff. 3 February 2009 download (99.1 kB)
Work Based Learning Pathway student: Owain Bergelin	Case study of a Work Based Learning Pathway Student at Llanrumney School, Cardiff. 3 February 2009 download (100.9 kB)
A NATIONAL CELEBRATION OF APPRENTICESHIPS	Throughout a week in February, Apprenticeship programmes were celebrated up and down England as part of the first ever National Apprenticeships Week. The aim was to raise the profile of Apprenticeships and encouracourage more employers to get involved, whilst paying tribute to the achievements of employers and apprentices involved in work based learning. 3 February 2009 download (302.8 kB)
GreaterSport deliver Skills for Jobs	Funding brokered by SkillsActive has helped GreaterSport in Manchester deliver a nine-month Skills for Jobs programme. The Skills for Jobs programme is an umbrella term for the range of different initiatives aimed at linking skills and employability, providing a much needed route from unemployment into sports coaching on a voluntary and paid basis. 3 December 2008 download (242.4 kB)
London Coaching Bursary	Over 800 coaches across London have benefited since the London Coaching Bursary launched in November 2007 thanks to the provision of subsidised coaching qualifications. This case study tells some of their stories. 1 September 2008 download (1.7 MB)
Innovation Awards celebrate outstanding achievement	SkillsActive was delighted to sponsor the award for innovative delivery of a 14-19 curriculum in sport and leisure at the 2008 Youth Sport Trust’s sports college conference. 28 April 2008 download (87.7 kB)
County sports partnership at work in the English regions	The role of the county sports partnership (CSP) is to provide a coherent and structured approach to the development of sport and physical activity across each of the nine regions in England through a collaboration of the public, private and voluntary sectors. Integral to the partnership are all those involved in sport and physical activity across a region, but principally the local authorities, school sports partnerships and national governing bodies of sport. 27 March 2008 download (83.9 kB)
Sport Leaders qualification in the local community	The Sports Leaders Award level 1 programme was set up in 2005 to target local young people living in the most deprived areas of Renfrewshire. The main aim of the project is to provide opportunities for young people aged 14 years plus to become involved in sport leadership and coaching in their local area whilst at the same time making a contribution to the well being of their local community. 28 February 2008 download (115.0 kB)
Employers in the South West see benefits of work based learning	Many employers are waking up to the potential gains of fully engaging with educational programmes and in particular offering work experience. 25 January 2008 download (81.0 kB)
SkillsActive celebrates the success of NVQs	SkillsActive is celebrating the 100,000th national vocational qualification (NVQ) across the active leisure and learning sector since the qualifications began around 15 years ago. 10 January 2008 download (98.9 kB)
Lawn Tennis Association use AASE to develop top players and coaches	Young sportsmen and women who have the talent and drive to take their performance to a higher level often face that old dilemma – should they go all out to achieve their dreams, and in doing so put their education on the back burner, or should they take a more realistic approach, put their education first and hope they can make time to pursue their sporting dream? 10 January 2008 download (105.2 kB)
New qualifications signal latest chapter for caravan industry	Work on the development of new national vocational qualifications (NVQs) for repair and servicing technicians in touring caravan and motorhome workshops is gathering pace, and workshop managers met in Coventry in October 2007 to discuss and contribute to the process. 4 January 2008 download (112.5 kB)
Coaching funds develop coaches for Olympics and beyond	In May 2007 SkillsActive announced a £100,000 investment by the Learning and Skills Council and Sport England to support coaching excellence by subsidising coaching qualifications in the South West. Managed by SkillsActive, this bursary has already seen over 300 coaches embark on gaining UK Coaching Certificate recognized qualifications at Levels 1 to 3, with over a hundred more to have started by the end of the year. 29 November 2007 download (124.2 kB)
Apprenticeship for elite athletes is big success with football clubs	The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme was launched in 2004 and since then, 82 of the 92 Premiership and Football League clubs in England and Wales, including top names such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Cardiff City have taken it up. 31 October 2007 download (85.1 kB)
Employability – Wales faces the task ahead	Employers in Wales have been voicing the same concerns as those in the rest of the UK in that they know they need more skilled staff but find that graduates are often under equipped to enter the working world. The challenge was to understand these skills gaps and how they can be narrowed given the array of training options employers can choose from. 27 September 2007 download (656.2 kB)
The outdoors offers fresh career path for young Scots	As those in the outdoors sector will recognise, recruitment and retention are issues that affect the industry across the UK. In Scotland, work experience schemes have been piloted to highlight the career options available within the outdoors industry to young people. 27 September 2007 download (532.8 kB)
The caravan industry demonstrates its commitment	The caravan business, already worth £3 billion a year to the UK economy, is booming. Caravanning is also becoming trendy, with many young people realising the potential of a caravan holiday for participating in adventure sports. To help the industry continue its growth, SkillsActive is working with Caravan Industry Training Limited (CITO) to improve training and its supply. 27 September 2007 download (853.8 kB)
Yoga and pilates standards	Standards for yoga and pilates were two particular areas which were in need of development and SkillsActive have been responsible for driving changes forward. 29 June 2007 download (369.2 kB)
Women into higher level sports coaching in the North West	At the beginning of March, 150 women in the North West began the Women into Higher Level Sports Coaching programme, designed to support them in their progression into sports coaching and leadership, develop as higher level coaches and gain employment within the sporting workforce. 24 April 2007 download (489.4 kB)
Building skills in the voluntary sports sector	Employers in the voluntary sports sector in West Yorkshire faced problems in developing the skills of their organisations. SkillsActive worked with West Yorkshire Sport and came up with a workforce development plan that identified gaps in provision, and set out the skills that needed developing. 19 April 2007 download (350.4 kB)
Graduate Apprenticeship Programme in Outdoor Learning	Although outdoor centres are used to training young people on the job, there has never been a structured, recognised training or career route for graduates wishing to enter this sector. SkillsActive, working with a number of partners, have developed a Graduate Apprenticeship Programme in Outdoor Learning to bridge the gaps in skills, experience and knowledge, and meet the needs of these employers. 19 April 2007 download (471.5 kB)
David Lloyd Leisure	David Lloyd Leisure were concerned that only half their employees had a current qualification as a gym instructor along with poor levels of staff rentention. They realised that paying more attention to training was the only answer and worked with SkillsActive and other partners to give all their instructors support and training throughout their careers. 19 April 2007 download (2.1 MB)
THE PASSPORT TO A BETTER INDUSTRY	The activepassport is currently being trialled in the caravan sector with the aim of rolling it out sector wide at a later date. It is hoped the activepassport will improve regular training and continuing professional development, making the recruitment and training process in the caravan industry more efficient. 1 November 2006 download (286.5 kB)
ONE SINGLE EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER PLANNING NEEDS	As senior managers in their respective local councils, Margaret Luck and Michaela Hutchings are well aware of the benefits of strong and proactive workforce development. With this in mind they both welcomed the chance to pilot SkillsActive’s innovative activepassport last year, putting the online record of skills and achievements through its paces. 1 November 2006 download (99.1 kB)
A workforce dedicated to sport and recreation	The UK has a proud sporting pedigree, but sports provision from grassroots community projects through to professional sportsmen and women at the very peak of their performance relies on a huge number of skilled staff and volunteers. The sport and recreation sub-sector will be under pressure to deliver a fitting Olympic legacy, and the workforce must be up to the task. 1 November 2006 download (365.7 kB)
Graduate Apprenticeship in the Outdoor Sector	St Martins College, Cumbria run a Graduate Apprenticeship programme which provides a structured pathway for employment in the Outdoor Sector. 16 August 2006 download (44.3 kB)
Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence: Golf	The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence is aimed at young people who have the potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to perform at the highest level as their main career goal. 16 August 2006 download (101.6 kB)
Employer engagement with foundation degrees	Newcastle City Council, as an employer in the health and physical activity sector, had reported for some time that there was a local skills gap at Level 3 and above among fitness instructors and others working in the sector so worked with a local education provider, Newcastle College, to develop a new and innovative foundation degree programme. 16 August 2006 download (671.2 kB)
Rawthorpe amateur boxing club	Professional sportsmen and women know that their career could be cut short due to injury, particularly in boxing, so a Yorkshire boxing club has taken the initiative to equip their members with new skills while they are still fit to pursue boxing careers. 16 August 2006 download (97.1 kB)
The Sprint Project	As part of the Sector Skills Agreement process SkillsActive held a number of focus groups to discuss challenges facing employers from the public, private and voluntary and community sector which uncovered a number of skills gaps. These issues were addressed in the development of the Sprint Project, funded by the LDA and delivered by the London Community Sports network. 16 August 2006 download (827.4 kB)
Training and development; why it's worth the investment	SkillsActive has been promoting the benefits of training and staff development for some time now, but do employers think this investment is paying off and has the sector learnt anything new? 16 August 2006 download (84.8 kB)

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