Barrow FC’s Community Trust has been playing a key role in an invaluable Furness Education and Skills Partnership scheme to help inspire youngsters in the town.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been found that young children’s soft skills, such as communication and resilience, may have been affected and this is having a knock-on effect for employers when youngsters are interviewed for jobs.
The scheme devised by FESP is attempting to drive a greater link between local businesses and education to help rebuild these skills and show the town’s children the many employment opportunities there are in Barrow and the wider area.
As part of it, youngsters have been given the chance to visit various local companies – including Barrow AFC, where they were given a tour and then discussed the range of career options available at the club outside of being a professional footballer.
Craig Rutherford, our Community Trust Manager, has been heavily involved with the scheme and led the visit to Holker Street where the children got to speak to several members of The Bluebirds’ off-pitch team.
“As a Community Trust and a Football Club, we’re really proud to be playing our part in the excellent work FESP is doing,” said Rutherford.
“We firmly believe that there are a large number of fantastic opportunities for young people in Barrow and beyond so be able to get involved in helping young people to discover those is something we really enjoy.”
As an extension to the drive, local businesses are to be invited into the Community Trust’s Holiday Camps this summer to further the links between education, young people and local businesses.
“The work we do with PE across the town and our after-school clubs is also really important because we can show the children the crossover between the skills they need for sport and those they will need to begin building a career in the future,” added Rutherford.
