Mentee Development Programme 2021/22 begins at St George’s Park

The Mentee Development Programme, supported by the Chelsea Foundation, kicked off this month with the programme offering opportunities to five female and five male coaches to gain experience and exposure to The FA Technical Department, as well as developmental experience with professional clubs at the  St. George’s Park facilities.

The 2021/22 programme began with an introduction day on Thursday 4^th November at St. George’s Park, where FA education Director Lucy Pearson and FA Technical Director John McDermott welcomed the mentees before FA Coach Inclusion and Diversity Manager, Butch Fazal, gave an introduction to the programme.

As part of The FA coach inclusion and diversity programme, which is targeted at addressing the pervasive inequalities for under-represented black, Asian and mixed heritage male and female coaches, the Mentee Development Programme is a bespoke learning experience for under-represented groups with aspirations to work in the professional game.

Running throughout the season, the development opportunity is designed to meet the needs of each individual coach, offering the ideal progression for those who currently work within grassroots or semi-professional environments.

Selected mentees will get opportunities such as observing the England national team development camps, study visits to professional clubs’ academies, season-long one-to-one mentoring, presentation and communication training, tactical and analysis workshops, and interview and CV masterclasses. Each element of the programme will aim to improve the mentees’ employability and understanding of how to develop a career in English football, accelerating their careers into the professional game.