The Albion Foundation run a two-year Foundation Degree programme, a course delivered in partnership with the University of South Wales, designed for individuals wanting to attain a university qualification and are passionate about pursuing a career in the sports industry.
Josh Ruff and Brandon Large are two students who have taken up the optional extra Batchelor year, embracing the challenges of this programme, and earlier this year, became the first students to be offered contracted part-time coaching hours alongside their studies.
In this Q&A, the pair discuss the variance of blended learning, the approachable nature of their mentors, and what it feels like to gain paid working hours on top of their course.
Over to you, Josh and Brandon…
Talk us through your journey, from leaving school to starting your degree?
Josh: “When I finished sixth form, I didn’t really know what I was doing to do, so I had a year out. I was in contact with a member of staff from the Foundation about the degree and potentially going on to do that. Then in 2021 I started the degree with a focus on coaching, trying to improve that having already done that on the outside. That was the focus and getting into a business-focused environment too.”
Brandon: “I originally did the Post-16 programme, so the Foundation pulled me into doing this course. I was talking to the people at the Foundation about what those next steps were for me. They showed me what the future could look like and now I’m still here.”
What made you want to do this course?
Josh: “It was definitely the prospect of being more hands on with my coaching. I was never going to do a traditional university course and sit behind a desk. So when I saw the balance of both with the blended learning and the pathway going into a potential job was a big pull.”
Brandon: “Seeing coaches do the jobs they do and the enjoyment they get from this, I thought I could do that. Knowing mentors and how they worked, seeing them was great.”
What does blended learning look like?
Josh: “Normally we’re in two or three mornings a week doing lectures, and then whether that’s on the same day or a different one – we’ll go out and coach. Currently we’ll be in on a Tuesday morning doing lectures, but on a Monday, we’re out delivering in schools.”
Brandon: “We get a good mix of programmes to work on. In first year, we had the joy of being moved around different departments, I went into Behaviour Change whereas Josh went into Disability and wellbeing. We’ve also had a fair bit of experience on those Premier League programmes such as Premier League Primary Stars and Premier League Kicks in the evenings. We also help with PDA, Pre-Academy and Post-16. Being a part of these things, it helps you get that mix and everything’s transferrable.”
What do you enjoy most about the degree?
Josh: “It’s being able to deliver alongside it. With a lot of degrees, you go and learn, and that’s it – you rarely see that next step. Now, in our third year, we’re gaining that experience and those conversations about the future. There seems to be a lot of desire for us to progress within the Foundation, there’s that option for the future.”
Brandon: “With most degrees, you don’t have that pathway that you can go straight into full-time employment. You get that option here to go into full-time employment if you show yourself as having the skills that you need. For us, having our part-time contracts is really good and it shows how the pathway has developed. There are a lot of paid opportunities to go into which isn’t the case for most university degrees.”
The class sizes are small, so would you say there’s a lot of focus on your individual needs?
Josh: “We’ve got both Lee [Meacham] and Charlie [Fripp], so there’s a lot of focus on us, whether as academics or in a practical sense. They come along to sessions and work with us, as a smaller cohort, it’s more of a personal focus. We look at other clubs, they’ve got 30 kids, and there’s no chance of knowing each and every student’s needs.”
Brandon: “It makes sense being in a smaller group, it allows Lee and Charlie to get the most out of us and for us to get the help we need. Doing this degree allows us to have this pathway.”
How do you find your mentors?
Josh: “I think they balance each other quite well. Lee having been around the company for a long time, you can approach him and having his experience, he’ll understand it. Charlie having done the degree himself; it works very well. He gives us a lot of examples and he can reflect upon his own experiences. Having two mentors works really well.”
Brandon: “Having two of them, we’re able to go to them and open up. We can trust them, and whenever we need a problem solved, we can talk to them. If we’re finding something difficult we can go to them.”
How delighted are you to have secured contracted hours at The Albion Foundation?
Josh: “Moving onto Post-16, whilst we enjoy delivering in the Premier League programmes, being able to work directly into football has been my ambition. It shows that we’ve been rewarded for our hard work over the last two years.”
Brandon: “It’s been great with this contract, it’s a lot better blended with learning around football now. Having done two years of working hard, experiencing different departments, they understand what our focus is on and that our work is tailored to this.”
What message would you give to someone who’s considering starting this degree?
Josh: “Don’t be afraid to do it and the changes it could bring. The expectation to the reality is completely different, we’ve got staff to support you alongside it, there’s accessibility to go across to different departments.”
Brandon: “As with most things in life, it’s not always going to be easy, but understanding the different opportunities you’ll see – they’re there to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and put yourself out there. This is a great opportunity to get full-time employment, so don’t pass it up.”
To find out more about The Albion Foundation’s Degree in partnership with the University of South Wales, click HERE or for any tailored questions, contact Lee Meacham at lee.meacham@albionfoundation.co.uk.