What is Premier Skills?

Premier Skills is a project run in partnership between the British Council and the Premier League that uses football as a tool to develop coaching skills and English language skills.

The first element of Premier Skills is the coaching element, it involves face-to-face training courses for young coaches that not only helps develop their football coaching skills, but also teaches them how to use football as a tool for skills and community development. The courses are led by former Premier League players and current Premier League coaches and typically involve around 40 participants.

The second element is the English language component that harnesses the global interest in football and the Premier League to create a range of football-based materials for teachers and learners of English. These include a dedicated website that features downloadable resources for teachers and learners to develop and build upon their English language skills, as well as classroom-focused materials that use the motivational power of football to assist in exploring key social issues such as health and social inclusion.

Where is Premier Skills taking place?

The coaching is taking place in the following countries:

Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Uganda, Delhi, Goa, Kerala, Kolkata, Beijing, Dalian, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam.

Countries highlighted in bold are the hub ones hosting the phase two course.

What has happened so far in Egypt?

Three coaching skills courses have taken place in Egypt: two in Cairo in March 2007 and January 2008 (in the Shooting Club in Dokki), and one in Alexandria in June 2007 (in the Smouha Club).

The participants were from clubs, schools and universities and priority for selecting participants was given to those who were active in their communities, preferably from under-privileged governorates, with a focus on those from disadvantaged groups such as refugees and disabled leaders

The lead trainer was the former Wimbledon midfielder, Robbie Earle, assisted by former Newcastle United defender, Warren Barton, both current Premier League coaches.

In 2010, 30 young coaches from the first stage of Premier Skills took part in a course focussing on the skills of leading and organising football programmes. There were participants from Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Cameroon, Morocco and Senegal, who had been selected on the basis of the commitment they had demonstrated to passing on the benefits of the Premier Skills to their communities. The lead trainer was Bob Glozier, West Ham Academy Coach, supported by Paul Nicholls from Middlesbrough and Scott Black from Everton

For more information, visit the British Council’s ELT network website.