Unusual college course combines construction and football coaching

Leeds College of Building has launched a new programme for students interested in building but who also love football.

The College is now enrolling for a BTEC Level 2 Certificate in Construction & the Built Environment. The course also incorporates a Level 1 Award in Football Coaching.

The unusual pairing of qualifications includes units on construction technology, scientific and mathematical applications, design, processes and operations, and drawing techniques. It also incorporates elements of carpentry and joinery, brickwork, painting and decorating, and plastering. 

Simultaneously, the football academy programme teaches a range of transferable skills. They include player and coach development, passing, shooting, dribbling and attacking, FA Emergency Aid, and FA Safeguarding.

Students must be over 16 and have five GCSEs, including maths and English at grade 3, plus three other subjects with an average grade 3. After completion, options include apprenticeships, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, further football coaching development, or entry into the field of construction.

Denis Metcalf, student liaison officer and football academy coach at Leeds College of Building, said: “To my knowledge, no other specialist colleges like ours offer a football academy like this alongside non-sports courses. This is the perfect option for anyone interested in developing their football skills whilst studying a construction BTEC. By the end of the course, students will have a Level 2 qualification suitable for various careers in construction, but also be qualified as a Level 1 Football Coach. 

“This tailor-made course offers more vocational options. It aims to provide a broad understanding of the construction industry, while giving students the freedom to play football every Wednesday in the ESFA College league. Students train every Monday with a qualified UEFA B football coach at Goals Soccer Centre and become a Level 1 football coach – all in one year.”