Arsenal employability programme receives prestigious award from European clubs

Trophy win: Ivan Gazidis celebrates Arsenal's award
Arsenal
James Benge9 September 2015

Arsenal’s community programme was the recipient of a prestigious award this week as the club celebrated its commitment to the local area.

The club’s Employability Programme picked up the prize for Best Community and Social Responsibility Programme 2015 at the European Club Association’s (ECA) Annual General Assembly on Tuesday night.

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis was on hand to collect the award for the project, set up in 2011 as youth unemployment grew across the country.

Alan Sefton, head of Arsenal in the Community, said: “The passion and support that our staff have offered participants has played a key role in preparing young people for work and motivating them to stay in work. The project plays a significant role in one of our local community’s priority aims and, most importantly, it is having a vital impact on the lives of young people and their families.”

Since its inception Arsenal’s skills course has helped over 300 people find jobs. The programme provides eight or twelve week courses that provide accredited work qualification and literacy and numeracy skills.

The Employability Programme is part of the club’s wider social inclusion projects, including work with torture survivors, people suffering with mental health conditions and those in care.

Arsenal

Marc-André Buchwalder of the ECA praised the programme, saying: “The Arsenal Employability Programme perfectly illustrates the force for good that clubs can have in their local communities.

“The tailor-made approach, the continuous support throughout the recruitment process, the special relationships developed with a range of employers and the tangible job outcomes make this a great example of an employability project that directly impacts the lives of the participants and their families.

"The Arsenal Employability Programme has proved very successful and I can only invite other clubs to get inspired by this successful CSR model."

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