Career prospects from UCFB’s Certificate of Higher Education in Football Development

Many careers across the sports industry are achievable through UCFB’s new Certificate of Higher Education in Football Development, alongside England Football and the Football Association.

With the growth of football development containing a range specific growing fields across the industry, the year-long course opens many doors to score your dream career in the sports industry.

Here are just some of the career opportunities available from graduates of the course:

Football Development Officer

The increasingly important role of a football development officer covers an array of responsibilities throughout the industry.

This ranges from finance or safeguarding to the development of referees, coaches, clubs and leagues.

The role of a football development officer is to create and develop plans and programmes which will see the growth of the game from grassroots to elite level.

Organisations from clubs to governing bodies are hiring football development officers at speed for the future good of the game.

It is shown that this role is proving very demanding and popular in both the men’s and women’s games.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is one of the fastest growing sectors of the football and wider sports industry.

As organisations from County FAs to FIFA itself strive towards making football a game free of discrimination, this has only increased the job opportunities within that field.

These roles include EDI coordinators and managers, inclusion coaches and many more.

UCFB graduate Mohammed Patel works as equality, diversity and inclusion lead at Preston North End.

When asked about the positive impact his passion for EDI has on the Preston community, he said: “I was saying to the club that there were barriers in place, but there’s definitely ways we can break down these barriers. I said it’s a massive area of work which we could really progress in.

“Now, I’m able to work at the club I support, make a difference in the community I’ve been brought up in, see the change within the club and be in a position where I can make a change, not only in the local community, but on a national scale as well.”

Disability Work

Similarly, as football becomes a game “For All,” this has included a fantastic rise in the number of disability-related career opportunities.

This can range from disability sport officers at clubs and their foundations, to disability administrators at County FAs.

Disability and inclusion community activators work to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities within sport and many other sport-related activities across their communities.

Facilities Development Officer

As the game continues to grow, along with the quality of professionalism within the game, each organisation strives to improve its facilities in order to best progress the sport from their own pitch or boardroom.

The improvement of an organisation’s physical facilities, as well as its original planning and development, is proving crucial in the coming years of grassroots growth across the UK.

Further areas of career prospects from the Certificate of Higher Education in Football Development include finance controller, safeguarding officer and participation growth, as well as many other fields and sectors.

To find out more about UCFB’s alumni working across the football and wider sports industry, click here.