Football coaches urged to apply for new bursaries ahead of new campaign

Two bursaries are currently available for football coaches who wish to add to their CV ahead of the new campaign, with one specifically seeking to address statistical evidence which shows there is a significant underrepresentation from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) coaches attaining higher qualifications.

The ‘COACH’ bursary programme has been designed by The FA, the Premier League, the Football League, the Professional Football Association and the League Managers Association. It is aimed at BAME coaches who aspire to furthering their experience, from FA Level Two upwards. The FA lead on the running of the project, overseen by a Strategy Group made up of representatives from football authorities.

The application stage for the second season of the programme is open for a limited time, but interested coaches don’t have long left to apply. Then, when job opportunities do present themselves, it means coaches involved in this programme can challenge for positions, knowing that they can meet the qualification criteria and experience attached to the role.

Meanwhile, up to 600 more coaches will also receive bursary funding thanks to a joint FA and Essex County FA pledge of £30,000. Demand is already high for the newly-published schedule which is usually refreshed every six months at www.essexfa.com. The County FA have been granted just under £20,000 by The FA to put towards coach education and the Association have added their own amount, bringing the total up to £30,000.

Anyone over the age of 19 can apply for a bursary worth £50 towards Level 1 or 2 courses or the Youth Award Modules 1 and 2, which can be claimed during the online booking process. With the Level 2 course, candidates will be awarded a £50 refund upon successful completion.

? For more details on COACH, visit http://coach-bursary.thefa.com to view the online application. The closing date is Monday 1st July. There is no deadline for applications for the Essex County FA bursary for all coaches as the scheme will finish when the £30k pot runs dry. For the full course range, visit www.essexfa.com and click on ‘Coaches/Book Courses’.