Spotlight at the National Careers Service
Will you strike gold in your sporting career?
As this summer of sport reaches its climax with the staging of the 2012 Olympics in Britain, we look at how a specialised training programme is helping to train the athletes of tomorrow. We also look at other sporting careers, in case you’re not fortunate enough to be blessed with Olympian talent…
The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) is a sports performance programme designed to help train elite athletes. The programme helps you to develop the skills, knowledge, technique, tactics, physical fitness and mental strength you need to perform at the highest level. You also receive training on wider issues like career development and lifestyle. The programme was created by SkillsActive, National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport, and industry experts.
More than 20 sports are involved in the AASE, from fencing to football, and from rowing to rugby. You study towards a level 3 qualification, and the programme can last between six months and two years. You also have up to 16 hours a week to spend on another learning programme, such as studying A levels.
Who can get onto the programme?
To be eligible for the programme you need to be aged 16-19 and have the talent and potential to excel in your sport. You also need to meet the academic entry requirements and the Apprenticeship funding eligibility criteria.
You must also be either:
- a professional, full-time athlete
- an athlete identified by an NGB as ‘elite’
- an athlete involved in the academy environment at professional clubs.
A back-up plan
AASE also prepares you for other sporting careers, should you fall short of your ultimate sporting goal or choose to follow an alternative career path. This includes work within the related fields of coaching, sport development, health and fitness and sports leadership. This key part of the programme helps trainees to acknowledge that a career in top level sport can be cut short for many reasons, including loss of form or injury.
On the AASE programme you also receive training in key skills such as writing, communication and basic maths. This could help you if you decide to go into a different area of work or go on to study at college or university.
How successful is the AASE?
Over 30 present and past AASE apprentices have been selected to represent Great Britain in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in sports such as swimming, diving and tennis. See the Skillsactive website for the full list.
Past AASE students include double Olympic gold medallist swimmer Rebecca Adlington and Arsenal and England footballer Jack Wilshere. There are currently over 2500 athletes on the AASE.
More information
You can find out more about the AASE on the SkillsActive website.
For more details on how to become a sports professional, visit these job profiles:
Alternative sporting careers
Whilst not all of us can be elite athletes and Olympians, there are plenty of other opportunities in sport. For example, you can do Apprenticeships in instructing exercise and fitness, sports development and activity leadership. Visit the Apprenticeships website for more details.
And visit these sporting job profiles to find out what these jobs are like day-to-day, and which skills and qualifications you need to get into them.
