An education and football programme launched by Notts County and Rolls-Royce Leisure is getting ready for a new phase of recruitment after an excellent first year.
Having initially taken on 18 learners, which then rose to 21, the course has exceeded expectations with a 100 per cent success rate.
Recruitment is now well under way for September with a new elite footballing program set to be introduced.
So far nearly 60 students have signed up, and with the next open evening at Rolls-Royce Leisure in Hucknall on Tuesday evening (April 26, 5pm) the remaining 15 places are likely to be snapped up.
It has been so successful that the team it produced finished runners-up in the East Midland college league and saw no fewer than five players either invited to train with the first team or the Magpies’ academy.
Director of football Jamie Brough said: “It’s been an outstanding first year for us."
“The course, which combines playing football and learning, provides excellent opportunities for the students in a variety of different paths. They include, university, teaching/tutoring, coaching, personal training, journalism, physiotherapy, nutritionist to name but a few and then of course a career in professional football.”
As well as the training and matches, the players have visited The National Football museum in Manchester and are set to visit St Georges Park within the next two weeks.
As part of their development, all students are put through their refereeing qualifications free of charge, with next year seeing students put through the FA coaching course too.
Educationally, students study a BTEC Level Three in sports excellence which covers wide range of sporting topics including, physiotherapy, anatomy, coaching, current issues in sport, fitness, strength and conditioning plus much more.
All education and training takes place at Rolls-Royce Leisure training & education facility which boast a state of the art gym, class rooms, restaurant, 3G training area and three full size pitches.
Rolls-Royce Leisure has also partnered with Technogym, responsible for fitting out the Olympic village in 2012, while a further £20,000 will be invested in to the pitches.