From our first further education partnership launching in January 2024, CIMSPA now has a flourishing and diverse network
Over the summer, Sheffield United Community College formed the thirtieth further education partnership for CIMSPA. Having already collaborated with a wide range of awarding organisations, training providers and higher education institutions, we have developed our further education partnership offer to support learning providers focused mainly on young people moving directly from secondary school. By supporting colleges at this level with their sport and physical activity curriculum, together we are ensuring that students are equipped with the skills to gain rewarding careers in the sector.
As the chartered body for the sport and physical activity sector workforce, our research and ongoing work with employers gives us comprehensive insight into current and future skills needs, both at a national and local level. This allows CIMSPA to provide tailored and relevant support to further education providers. By working with our partner colleges to improve curriculum development and delivery we are helping them to be responsive to the needs of local employers and communities, resulting in their learners transitioning to positive destinations either into work in the sector or on to further learning.
While the CIMSPA Further Education Partner network has grown into a diverse representation of the sector’s leading further education providers, our thirtieth partner represents a step into a new area of sport and physical activity learning.
Sheffield United Community College
Forming part of the Sheffield United Football Club’s community foundation, Sheffield United Community College offers a range of bespoke post-16 and higher education qualifications in disciplines such as sport, fitness, business and e-sports. Through its strong links with the professional football club, learners benefit from the connections and practical example of a functional sporting business. The college is strongly focused on student employability and has worked with local employers and industry experts to ensure both course curricula and enrichment opportunities support learners with progressing into sector employment.
As well as the college, the Sheffield United Community Foundation also encompasses many other programmes aimed at providing opportunities for local people. With themes including accessibility and inclusion, community engagement, employability, and health and wellbeing, the foundation takes a holistic approach to the region’s development. This also allows students of the college to benefit from a bigger-picture approach that expands beyond the world of traditional learning environments.
To further their connection with the wider sport and physical activity sector, Sheffield United Community College became the thirtieth further education provider to partner with CIMSPA, and the first outside of mainstream education.
As a CIMSPA Further Education Partner, the college has committed to aligning its courses with the sector’s professional standards. Created in consultation with employers, the standards define the knowledge and skills required to work in specific roles and environments in the sector as well as with certain populations. By delivering qualifications mapped to relevant professional standards, Sheffield United Community College is directly meeting employer needs and ensuring that students are employable once they enter the working world.
As part of their partnership, learners studying CIMSPA-endorsed qualifications at the college also gain CIMSPA student membership. This helps them to build a relationship with their sector’s professional body from the outset and ensures that they understand how to access continued development opportunities once their course has ended.
Clear benefits from the start
Having now been in partnership for two months, staff and students at Sheffield United Community College have already felt the support that CIMSPA partnership provides:
Ryan Collins, Head of Education and Training at the college, shared:
“Even in these early months of our CIMSPA partnership, the benefits for our students are already clear. With their memberships starting shortly, they will soon have access to professional resources, sector insights and development opportunities that complement their studies.
“Over the year, this will help them build stronger CVs, explore different career pathways in sport, health and fitness, and begin developing the professional networks that will support them long after they leave college. Importantly, it also demonstrates the College’s commitment to delivering a high-quality, career-focused provision that prepares students not just to succeed academically, but to thrive in the professional world.”
Sara Byrne, Technical Education Manager at CIMSPA, describes how the partnership is a landmark for both organisations:
“We were delighted to welcome Sheffield United Community College as our thirtieth Further Education Partner in August. This represents a real milestone in our work with further education providers to support younger learners understand and access the exciting career opportunities in sport and physical activity. For the college itself, the partnership demonstrates a real commitment to providing high-quality education and helping their students to gain the skills and knowledge that employers are looking for.
“As our first specialised partner within The English Football League, working with the college will help us to understand how we can support providers beyond general further education. Over the first few months of this partnership, we have enjoyed working closely with our colleagues in Sheffield to align their course curricula with the professional standards and provide sector-specific career resources to their students.”
Become a CIMSPA Further Education Partner
Would bespoke curriculum and careers support benefit your further education college? If you offer sport and physical activity courses, partnering with CIMSPA can unlock access to insight from local sector employers, connections for work placements and tailored career resources to share with your students.
We also provide exclusive quality assurance for our partners to provide recognition of the high standard of your education provision, as well as the opportunity to gain endorsement for your courses recognised by major employers within the sector.
Our regular further education forums and webinars allow you to connect with other committed colleges to share practice and receive the latest sector news and insight through Move Professional, our digital publication, and monthly email bulletins.
With free CIMSPA student membership for your learners and a discount for staff, you’ll be able to empower your students to get involved with the sport and physical activity sector at the very start of their career journey, giving them the tools to gain rewarding employment in a relevant role.
Find out more and become a CIMSPA Further Education Partner today.