There's never been a better time to get a job in sport
05/09/2007 |
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With the UK hosting a series of great sports events in 2007, including The European Hockey Championships in Manchester, The World Team Badminton Championships in Glasgow, the ‘Grand Depart’ of the Tour de France and with the capital’s 2012 preparations gathering pace, there’s never been a better time to get a job in sport, according to specialist recruiters, The Sports Recruitment Company.
A glance at some of the existing vacancies in sport reveals a sector that is growing and with an injection of public funds aimed at boosting public participation in sport, more and more jobs are being created.
Leigh Hine, head of public sport at The Sport Recruitment Company, said: “There has never been a better time for people to look at developing their careers within the domestic sports market. The Government has committed more than £38 million to boosting the numbers of people who participate regularly in sport and with the likes of Wembley stadium now open for business and the Olympics just a few years away, now is the best time for people to look at other options within the industry.”
The government money being invested in sport is primarily intended to increase public participation in sport in the UK in a bid to counter growing obesity problems. Much of the monies are being targeted at creating delivery teams across the UK who will develop access to sport and encourage the public to take part.
“If you are interested in improving grass roots sport in the UK and have commercial experience to offer in the areas of marketing, event management and senior management, there are opportunities for you in sport. And with the health of the nation high on the political agenda, there are exciting careers ahead for people who want to take up the challenge,” commented Hine.
Other factors indicating a renewed emphasis on sport is the increasing investment from corporate sector with companies like Tesco, Barclays, McDonalds and E:ON all sponsoring various sporting initiatives across the UK. There is also a stronger structure in sport with more professional qualifications being recognised and initiatives which make careers in sport more secure and allow career progression and increased opportunity.
“With the Olympics coming to London and potential for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 there is a huge focus on elite sport, but national organisations and sports governing bodies are committed to supporting grass roots sport. This is all good news for the industry which is in need of good quality candidates from both inside and outside the traditional avenues,” added Leigh Hine.
Further evidence of the boost in public sports jobs can be seen in sheer number of roles The Sports Recruitment Company has been briefed to recruit. This has grown by 50% in the past 12 months within the public sports division indicating a rapidly expanding sector and one which finds quality candidates in high demand.
Among the roles The Sports Recruitment Company is recruiting for, there are a number of senior high profile positions including vacancies at national governing bodies, national sports organisations, regional and local government. The level of positions across the sector varies but includes chief executives, regional directors, commercial directors, fundraising managers and event managers.
Hine concluded, “While many of us dream of having a career in sport we often think it’s too difficult to get into. It is still a highly competitive sector, there are more and more jobs being created, so there really hasn’t been a better time to get a job in sport”.
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