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Sports Employability Academy

What is the Sports Employability Academy?

The Sports Employability Academy (SEA) is a new programme set up by QMSU Sport where students can gain up to £300 towards a sports-based qualification or CPD-activity of their choice! In return for students’ time volunteering within the sports industry, they will be eligible to receive funding to professionally upskill themselves within the world of sport.

The programme has been recognised with various nominations for regional and national awards including:

  • Times Higher Education: Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community - Shortlisted 2015
  • London Sport: Bigger and Better Workforce Award - Shortlisted 2015
  • BUCS: Workforce Programme of the Year Award - Shortlisted 2017 & 2020
  • QMUL Centre for Public Engagement: Community Engagement Award - Winner 2018
  • London Sport: Enhancing the Workforce Award - Shortlisted 2020
  • London Sport: Enhancing the Workforce Award - WINNER 2023
  • Gain valuable experience within the sports industry
  • Add qualifications to your CV
  • Enhance your professional development and strengthen your employability portfolio
  • Support your Queen Mary Sports Club by gaining relevant qualifications

You can register your interest by completing the form below, or you can message us on communityfoundation@qmul.ac.uk.

SEA Application Form 2024/25
  • Qualifications
  • Accreditations
  • Conferences
  • Workshops
  • Continuous Professional Development Opportunities (CPD)

Unpaid

  • Gold – 30 hours = Up to £300
  • Silver – 20 hours = Up to £200
  • Bronze – 10 hours = Up to £100

Paid

Students already in paid coaching positions are also eligible to enter the academy – Paid hours = 0.5 volunteering hours

  • Gold – 60 hours = Up to £300
  • Silver – 40 hours = Up to £200
  • Bronze – 20 hours = Up to £100

Students are permitted to mix both paid & unpaid hours, they must ensure hours are being calculated and logged correctly. Students planning to mix both paid and unpaid hours must notify the SEA lead beforehand.

CPD activities such as online workshops may count towards the completion of an academy milestone. However, these workshops must be relevant and approved beforehand by the SEA lead. Online CPD activities will count as 0.5 hours. There are many relevant CPD activities on your premium UKCoaching account!

Students may also shadow sessions from experienced coaches, this will count as 0.5 volunteering hours and attendance must be confirmed by the lead coach.

Both shadowing and online CPD activities together must not make up more than 50% of your volunteering hours at each academy milestone.

Students can register their interest in joining the academy by filling out the form, or emailing the shared inbox above.

After registering interest, an online interview will be set up to better understand students' goals and strengths, upon completion of this interview students will receive confirmation on whether they have been successful in entering the academy.

Successful entrance into the academy will grant you access to a premium UK Coaching membership for 12 months (see below for sign up process).

New Academy Members must complete 5 hours of mandatory UK Coaching training to suitably prepare them before them for their first practical experiences within the academy.

Mandatory training includes How to Plan, Coach, Reflect (2 hours) and Duty to Care Badge (3 Hours). Once mandatory training has been completed, certification of course completion must be sent to the SEA lead. Upon completion of this students will receive free kit which they can wear when representing the academy.

Once mandatory training has been completed and confirmed by the SEA lead, students can start to log their hours.

By enrolling on the academy students agree to attending an online reflection meeting after each academy milestone.

Mandatory training does not count towards volunteering hours.

Mandatory training links:

Duty to Care Digital Badge - UK Coaching How to: Plan, Coach, Reflect - UK Coaching
  • You must be a Queen Mary student enrolled in the 2024-25 academic year
  • Applications for reimbursement can only be made once the required number of volunteering hours have been completed and approved by the SEA lead
  • Students must get volunteering hours signed off by relevant personnel (e.g., club captain/manager) for every academy milestone reached
  • You must fully commit to completing your chosen qualification and ensure you are available on all dates requested, including any assessment dates
  • Students can claim a maximum of £300 towards sports-based qualifications once per academic year
  • Students working with children must have a valid DBS check
  • Students working with external organisations must be first aid trained or be in the presence of a first aider for the duration of their volunteering sessions
  • Students are not permitted to back date hours worked, but are able to carry over volunteering hours into the next academic year – with permission from the SEA lead
  • After an academy milestone has been reached and signed off by the relevant personnel, students may purchase the course of their choice. After proof of purchase has been received by the SEA lead, funds specific to the milestone will be transferred to the students’ bank account
  • Queen Mary Sport reserve the right to ask for a refund of up to 100% of funds given, if the department feels that the funding eligibility criteria has not been met
  • Students can claim funding up to 1 academic year after completion of an academy milestone

Queen Mary University has teamed up with UK Coaching to give you paid for access to the UKCoaching.org Premium Membership service. When you join UK Coaching, you’ll unlock a wide range of exclusive resources, learning and offers designed to help you connect, grow and empower people – from all walks of life.

Subscribe using your unique discount code and you’ll get a full 12 months’ access 100% discounted (instead of the standard price of £36).

What You’ll Get

  • Exclusive access to practical resources you can read, watch or download that will help you to:
    • Build rapport
    • Grow abilities
    • Develop mindsets
    • Support differing needs
    • Ensure welfare and safety
    • Organise and plan
  • Free access to some of UK Coaching’s online Learn at Home courses, including recordings of the popular Time2Learn webinars.
  • Exclusive benefits where you can make huge savings across big name brands such as Under Armour, Decathlon, Apple, Sports Direct and many more!
  • Access to specialist support services such as counselling, legal and tax helplines.

For any log in support please contact UK Coaching Club on ukcoachingclub@ukcoaching.org.

Steps to claim:

  1. To access to your UK Coaching Membership please register HERE.
  2. Claim your access to UK Coaching Premium Club and unlock the secrets of #GreatCoaching by using your unique discount code to get 100% off!
  3. Please note: The 100% discount code will be supplied via email to the eligible students by the SEA lead after enrolment in the academy.
How will I log my hours?

Please log your hours on a weekly basis using the form below.

Log hours
Who can sign off my hours after each milestone?

After each academy milestone, a person(s) present at one of your sessions, or a person of authority within that organisation (e.g., manager/club captain, head coach) confirm you have completed the hours that have been logged.

How can I get my milestones confirmed?

Milestones can be confirmed via an email to the shared inbox confirming the student has completed the claimed number of hours.

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Contact Us

Community Foundation

Contact your Students’ Union with any questions you may have.