Over 600 young adults from Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre will benefit from a new partnership that aims to equip them with employment skills.
AFC Fylde Community Foundation has joined forces with its new education and school sports programme partners, Cuadrilla and Centrica, to fund and deliver a new traineeship programme, Striking Futures.
Striking Futures aims to provide young people with one of a range of AQA Vocational Level 2 qualifications, all of which have been carefully selected to help them gain employment.
It is estimated that 60 percent of students will go on to participate in further training, whilst others will go into employment, either within The Foundation or in the community.
Tom Hutton, director of community development at the AFC Fylde Community Foundation, said: “The Foundation’s education and schools sports programme is continuing to grow, thanks to the generous support of our partners, Cuadrilla and Centrica.
“Without their vital funding, we simply wouldn’t be able to launch new initiatives, such as Striking Futures.
“Programmes like these are so important for the young people of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre, as they provide access to education to disengaged and disadvantaged members of the community, improving their employment prospects.”
This month, The Foundation welcomes its first cohort of trainees on the programme, with eight 16-24 year olds participating in the 12 week scheme.
AFC Fylde’s latest collaboration with Cuadrilla and Centrica will also further The Foundation’s existing schools programme, providing over 3,000 children, aged between three and nine, with the extra-curricular and physical education activity each week.
Francis Egan, Cuadrilla’s CEO, commented: “We are pleased, as part of our ongoing commitment to the local community, to have provided The Foundation with financial support to deliver this fantastic educational and school sports programme.
“We’re confident that initiatives such as Striking Futures will make a real difference by reaching those children who will benefit the most from it.”
