Kick It Out is on the lookout for promising young hopefuls eager to be fast-tracked into the football industry.

The campaign’s Mentoring and Leadership Project is entering a new era, starting with the Raise Your Game conference on Wednesday 10 April.

Mentoring has been a key focus of Kick It Out’s work in recent years and The FA’s Equality Manager Funke Awoderu will be participating as a mentor at this year’s conference.

Since 2011, a conference has taken place every year bringing people together from across the country looking to find work in different areas of the game.

And credible and respected individuals already working in football provide essential advice to attendees to help them on their chosen pathway.

After the success of the ‘Raise Your Game’ regional series of events in 2012, this year’s conference sees a thrust towards reaching new communities and individuals.

The ever-growing areas of sports science and physiotherapy, and the work of licensed football agents have been added to the current list of disciplines focused upon by the Project:-
• Management and coaching.
• Media and communications.
• Football administration.
• Community and grassroots.
• Refereeing.

The ‘Raise Your Game’ conference will capture the momentum and essence of those regional events, which have allowed people to walk away with football-related qualifications, work placements, a better understanding of how to secure employment and ideas for enhancing their own initiatives.  

Previous years have seen the conference attract high calibre mentors such as Norwich City manager Chris Hughton, England Women star Rachel Yankey, former Charlton Athletic striker Jason Euell, Arsenal legend Paul Davis and West Bromwich Albion hero and FA Football Consultant Brendon Batson.

To book onto the ‘Raise Your Game’ conference, please click here or contact Kick It Out Mentoring and Leadership manager Troy Townsend via troy@kickitout.org or on 020 7253 0162 for further information.